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Read Full BioStaff at the Parkland Place Rehabilitation Centre in North Wales, a facility for individuals seeking treatment for gambling problems, say they have observed that gambling behaviour in women increases before and during their periods.
Although only 25% of the patients at the centre are women, manager Cheryl Williams says those who are admitted increase their gambling around their menstrual cycles.
Speaking to the BBC, Williams stated, “We’ve noticed the females who are due on their menstrual cycle, gambling increases before the cycle has kicked in.”
Women Say Periods Increased Gambling Problems
Two women admitted to the centre have also said they noticed that their gambling urges would increase during their periods. Abbie Harvey said her gambling addiction was so severe that she could not drive for 20 minutes without pulling over to bet, particularly just before and during her period.
Harvey lost more than £20,000 ($27,000) over a 10-year period, predominantly through playing online slots. The UK recently raised the taxes on online slots, in part due to evidence suggesting they are the most addictive form of gambling.
Fellow patient, Kiki Marriott, also said she thinks there is a strong connection between her period and the urge to gamble. She stated, “Impulsivity and compulsive behaviours are more likely to shine bright in the week before my period – and that’s when I’d make even worse decisions.”
The 40-year-old said she would gamble for more than 24 hours until she ran out of money and then stole from her partner. She said her gambling problems led to her becoming suicidal, but she found help through GamCare’s National Gambling Helpline and the rehab centre.
Does Science Support These Claims?
There appears to be a scientific explanation behind the link between periods and gambling. Dr Rosalind Baker-Frampton, clinical director of the Gordon Moody gambling harms charity, says it comes down to hormonal fluctuation.
She said, “You’re more likely to engage in risky behaviours around the time of ovulation, so that’s when an egg is released. That’s the time you’re most fertile. We also know that before a woman’s period, she’s had a drop in progesterone.”
Progesterone influences mood, sleep, and brain function, including impulse control. Baker-Frampton says that the drop can lead to women chasing losses, spending a longer time gambling, and, as a result, spending more money.
She added, “They end up spending more money and making more risky choices around gambling and not stopping at other points in their cycle.”
The charity, in conjunction with the University of Birmingham, is now launching a research investigation to explore the issue, including whether hormone-regulating medication could help with gambling addiction.
Research Links Food & Mood to Gambling
Other research has found that what we eat can also have a big impact on gambling behaviour. Researchers have suggested that prebiotics found in kidney beans and other legumes can reduce risk-taking behaviour.
The research into the link between the menstrual cycle and compulsive gambling will take up to four years, and Baker-Frampton believes it will uncover some interesting results.
She said, “We have a theory that women who are on the pill or who are on hormone replacement therapy, because their hormones are at a more stable level throughout the month, may be less likely to experience these severe gambling cravings.”
Previous research has also indicated that medication can impact risk-taking, with some antidepressants linked to an increase in compulsive gambling.
The UK Gambling Commission has stated that it is “always interested in new research” to “help inform our ongoing drive to make gambling safer.”
