Japanese Casino (Photo : Reuters/Yuya Shino)
Japanese seniors are increasingly gambling to stay mentally sharp, by playing games such as slot machines, mahjong, and baccarat in senior day care centers throughout the country. It is already known that elderly people often like to gamble, but it is also being credited with stimulating the brain aand helping to prevent or slow down the development of dementia.
Kaoru Mori is Chairman of Japan Elderly Care Service. It operates the "Las Vegas" senior day care center in Yokohama, according to CNN.
Certain researchers have claimed that gambling could help to prevent brain disorders that are linked to old age. A study by Suwa Tokyo University of Science showed that subjects showed a small increase in frontal/parietal lobe activity, and better recognition.
However, one concern is that senior gamers are at a high risk of addiction. The United States' AARP lobby group has warned that seniors are the US' fastest growing group of gambling addicts.
A 2014 government study showed that about 5 percent of Japanese are addicted to gambling. It is about 5.36 million people.
The Yokohoma center's residents claim that gambling keeps their minds sharp. Meanwhile, others value the companionship that helps to prevent depression.
One big concern among experts is that the elderly's gambling will result in financial problems. A 2005 study by the University of Pennsylvania discovered that 10 percent of gamblers over 65 years old were at risk of financial problems due to gambling.
Earlier this year Japan's centenarian population topped 60,000 people for the first time, according to The Japan Times. The newest survey showed that women make up 87 percent of the total number of Japanese more than 100 years old.
