Responsible Gambling Laws' Contributions to Behaviour Change in Problem Gamblers in Online Poker

2015 ◽  
pp. 226-261
Author(s):  
Wynford Compton ◽  
Dino M. Minoli ◽  
Mark M. H. Goode
Keyword(s):  
Responsible Gambling ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Online Gambling ◽  
Social Awareness ◽  
Gambling Behaviour ◽  
Consumer Survey ◽  
Pathological Gamblers ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Online Poker ◽  
Gambling Market

This chapter explores the application of responsible gambling legislation and controls in online poker software and to explore if these have an impact on changing consumer gambling behaviour. This study is needed for three reasons, the infancy of the industries completed research, the continued growth of the online gambling market and the risks to consumers and society of higher levels of problem and pathological gambling disorders. Using the current literature to identify the behaviours of problem and pathological gamblers and the features that the online poker operators have in their software, the consumer survey was created. The analysis showed that online poker consumers have a high rate of identified problem gambling behaviours compared to the publicised research of the gambling charities and that having accessed the responsible gambling information the consumers also had a high success rate at modifying them positively. There is also evidence that having the material available to the consumer leads to a higher level of social awareness when looking to the poker operators.

scholarly journals Being a Gambler during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study with Italian Patients and the Effects of Reduced Exposition

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 424
Author(s):  
Maria Anna Donati ◽  
Silvia Cabrini ◽  
Daniela Capitanucci ◽  
Caterina Primi ◽  
Roberta Smaniotto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Gambling Behavior ◽  
Online Gambling ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Electronic Gambling Machines ◽  
Electronic Gambling ◽  
Gambling Market ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Gambling Activities

The COVID-19 pandemic, with the consequent lockdown of about 3 months, can be viewed as an experimental model to observe the impact of the depletion of environmental factors that stimulate gambling, particularly electronic gambling machines (EGMs) that were set to zero. The effects of some structural characteristics of gambling activities that increase gambling behavior were studied among disordered gamblers in treatment in this unique scenario. In fact, studies investigating the effects of the lockdown on problem gamblers (PGs) under treatment are missing. The aims of this study were to analyze patients’ gambling behavior and craving during the lockdown and to conduct a comparison between gambling disorder (GD) symptoms at the beginning of the treatment and during lockdown. The study was conducted in Italy, the European country with the largest gambling market and the first to be affected by the virus. Data were collected through a semi-structured telephone interview conducted by healthcare professionals. Participants were 135 PGs under treatment (109 males, mean age = 50.07). Results showed that most PGs achieved a significant improvement in their quality of life, with less gambling behavior, GD symptoms, and lower craving. No shift toward online gambling and very limited shift towards other potential addictive and excessive behaviors occurred. The longer the treatment, the more monitoring is present and the better the results in terms of symptoms reduction. Individual and environmental characteristics during the lockdown favored the reduction in symptoms. Consideration for prevention and treatment are discussed.

scholarly journals Gambling and problem gambling in a sample of university students

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Williams ◽  
Dennis Connolly ◽  
Robert T. Wood ◽  
Nadine Nowatzki
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Gambling Behaviour ◽  
Pathological Gamblers ◽  
Education Management ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
The Past ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Southern Alberta ◽  
Median Amount

University students from southern Alberta (n = 585) were administered a questionnaire to assess their gambling behaviour. Seventy-two percent reported gambling in the past 6 months, with the most common types being lotteries and instant win tickets (44%) and games of skill against other people (34%). Most students who gambled spent very little time and money doing so (median time spent = 1.5 hrs; median amount of money spent = $0). While gambling is an innocuous activity for most, a significant minority of students are heavy gamblers who experience adverse consequences from it. Seven and one-half percent of students were classified as problem or pathological gamblers, a rate significantly higher than in the general Alberta adult population. The characteristics that best differentiated problem gamblers from non-problem gamblers were more positive attitudes toward gambling, ethnicity (41% of Asian gamblers were problem gamblers), university major (kinesiology, education, management), superior ability to calculate gambling odds, and older age.

scholarly journals Consumer engagement with and perceptions of offshore online gambling sites

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 2990-3010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally M Gainsbury ◽  
Alex MT Russell ◽  
Nerilee Hing ◽  
Alex Blaszczynski
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Consumer Protection ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Consumer Attitudes ◽  
Online Gambling ◽  
Gambling Behaviour ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Gambling Severity ◽  
Gambling Market ◽  
Online Gamblers

Many jurisdictions have legalized and licensed online gambling sites. Nonetheless, a notable proportion of the online gambling market operates offshore. Offshore sites pose risks for consumers in terms of unsafe and disreputable practices, compete with domestically licensed sites and do not participate in the economies in which they operate. This study aimed to explore the extent to which Australian online gamblers use offshore as compared to domestic gambling sites, consumer attitudes and gambling-related harms. Participants ( N = 3199) completed an online survey assessing gambling behaviour, reasons for choosing sites, awareness of and impact of online gambling legislation, and problem gambling. Results show that 25.8% of online gamblers used offshore sites, and that these were more involved gamblers overall than domestic gamblers, and had greater problem gambling severity. Most online gamblers preferred domestic sites, indicating that regulation of online gambling with associated consumer protection measures may benefit those who wish to gamble online.

scholarly journals Applying the DSM-5 Criteria for Gambling Disorder to Online Gambling Account-Based Tracking Data: An Empirical Study Utilizing Cluster Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maris Catania ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Gambling Disorder ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Online Gambling ◽  
Gambling Behaviour ◽  
Tracking Data ◽  
Transaction Data ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Dsm 5

AbstractThe emergence of online gambling has raised concerns about potential gambling-related harm, and various measures have been implemented in order to minimise harm such as identifying and/or predicting potential markers of harm. The present study explored how the nine DSM-5 criteria for gambling disorder can be operationalised in terms of actual online gambling behaviour using account-based gambling tracking data. The authors were given access to an anonymised sample of 982 gamblers registered with an online gambling operator. The data collected for these gamblers consisted of their first three months’ gambling activity. The data points included customer service contacts, number of hours spent gambling, number of active days, deposit amounts and frequency, the number of times a responsible gambling tool (such as deposit limit) were removed by the gamblers themselves, number of cancelled withdrawals, number of third-party requests, number of registered credit cards, and frequency of requesting bonuses through customer service (i.e., the number of instances of ‘bonus begging’). Using these metrics, most of the DSM-5 criteria for gambling disorder can be operationalized (at least to some extent) using actual transaction data. These metrics were then applied to a sample of online gamblers, and through cluster analysis four types of online gambler based on these metrics (non-problem gamblers, at-risk gamblers, financially vulnerable gamblers, and emotionally vulnerable gamblers) were identified. The present study is the first to examine the application of the DSM-5 criteria of gambling disorder to actual gambling behaviour using online gambling transaction data and suggests ways that gambling operators could identify problem gamblers online without the need for self-report diagnostic screening instruments.

scholarly journals Responsible gambling in practice: A case study of views and practices of Swedish oriented gambling companies

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Forsström ◽  
Jenny Cisneros Örnberg
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Informed Choice ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Responsible Gambling ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Online Gambling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Gambling Market

The Swedish gambling market faces a major change in legislation that will allow foreign-based companies to apply for a gambling licence in Sweden. A key element in the new legislation are consumer protection measures. The Swedish gambling market is currently divided between licensed companies and non-Swedish-based companies providing online gambling services without a licence in Sweden. How these companies view their responsibility for preventing gambling-related harm and how prepared they are for the new regulations are important questions regarding the new Swedish gambling market. Aims: To compare and analyse the views and practices on problem gambling and responsible gambling (RG) measures among licensed and unlicensed gambling companies on the Swedish market. Design/Methods/Data: Eleven semi-structured interviews were carried out with responsible gambling managers who are members of either of the two Swedish industry associations. Content analysis was used to analyse the interviews. Results: Non-licensed companies have implemented behaviour tracking and monitoring of gamblers in a more extensive way than licensed companies. Both the licensed and the unlicensed companies conceptualise problem gambling in a similar manner and rely on informed choice in preventing gamblers from developing problems, seemingly arguing that offering responsible gambling measures on their website is enough. Conclusions: There are several similarities in how the two types of companies define problem gambling and responsible gambling. Both groups lack a critical perspective when discussing RG. There is a need for companies not only to provide RG measures, but to take an active role in preventing harm among gamblers. Future research should focus on exploring how companies work with RG after the legislative change.

THE GAMBLING HABITS OF ONLINE POKER PLAYERS

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingo Fiedler
Keyword(s):  
Harvard Medical School ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Gambling Behavior ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Pathological Gamblers ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Online Poker ◽  
Gambling Involvement ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Poker Players

Online poker is a data goldmine. Recording actual gambling behavior gives rise to a host of research opportunities. Still, investigations using such data are rare with the exception of nine pioneering studies by Harvard Medical School which are reviewed here. This paper fills part of the vacuum by analyzing the gambling habits of a sample of 2,127,887 poker playing identities at Pokerstars over a period of six months. A couple of playing variables are operationalized and were analyzed on their own as well as connected with each other in form of the playing volume ($ rake a player has paid in a time frame).The main findings confirm the results of the Harvard studies: most online poker players only play a few times and for very low stakes. An analysis of the relationship between the playing habits shows that they reinforce each other with the exception of the playing frequency which moderates gambling involvement. The average values of the playing habits are considerably higher due to a small group of intense players: the 99% percentile player has a playing volume that is 552 times higher than that of the median player (US$2,685), and 1% of the players account for 60% of playing volume (10% for even 91%). This group is analyzed more thoroughly, and a discussion shows that the first impulse to peg intense players as (probable) pathological gamblers is wrong. Rather, future research is needed to distinguish problem gamblers from professional players. 

scholarly journals THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT GOVERNING COMMERCIAL GAMBLING AND THE SHAPE OF THE MARKET IN THE SUPPLY AND GAME PARAMETERS OF GAMING MACHINES

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 111-149
Author(s):  
David Miers
Keyword(s):  
Responsible Gambling ◽  
Online Gambling ◽  
Regulatory Environment ◽  
Regulatory Regime ◽  
Regulatory Structure ◽  
Remote Communication ◽  
Descriptive Account ◽  
Critical Account ◽  
The Government ◽  
Gaming Machines

This paper has three main purposes. The first sets the controls over the supply and the game parameters of gaming machines within the broader regulatory environment governing commercial gambling in Great Britain. This account notes the tensions that existed prior to the regime introduced by the Gambling Act 2005, but whose legacy continues to present both regulatory and commercial difficulties. Its second purpose is to indicate how these controls have shaped the gaming machine market and the debate around the ways in which the government could realise its policy of striking a balance between the interests of both operators and players. This paper does not address the regulation of online gambling; that is, ‘remote gambling’ by means of ‘remote communication’ (s. 4 of the Gambling Act 2005). Its third purpose is to provide a critical account of the regulatory regime governing the availability of gaming machines as the background against which the Responsible Gambling Trust’s other commissioned contextual papers may be read.The text falls into four sections:An overview of the regulation of machines under the Gaming Act 1968 and of the reasons underlying the structure of the new regimeA summary of the overall regulatory structure of the 2005 ActA descriptive account of the 2005 Act’s regulation of machinespreliminarycommon core definitional features of a ‘gaming machine’the categories of gaming machinesgaming machine licences and permitsconditions and standards for their use4.Some concluding comments on how these arrangements have shaped both the commercial availability of gaming machines and the debate about how the interests of operators and of players can be accommodated

scholarly journals And That is Where the Fun Ends – General Practitioners’ Conceptualisation of the Line between Recreational and Problem Gambling

2014 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Dieter Egerer ◽  
Virve Marionneau
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Medical Model ◽  
Online Gambling ◽  
Group Method ◽  
Gambling Behaviour ◽  
Cultural Variations ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Individual

AbstractAIMS – Problem gambling is normally identified by fixed criteria of harm adapted from those of substance abuse and by focusing on the individual gambler. However, rigid definitions neglect institutional variations of gambling practices within different legislative configurations. This study proposes analysing the line between recreational and problem gambling by focusing on gambling behaviour and looking at the corruption of the defining factors of play (Caillois, 1958) in three different institutional contexts. DESIGN – A stimulated focus-group method (Reception Analytical Group Interview) was applied to seven groups of Finnish and French general practitioners each and three groups of German ones to study the variations of conceptualising the defining factors of play as introduced by Caillois. RESULTS – Corruption of play was distinguished by participants from all three countries as the dividing line between recreational and problem gambling, but cultural variations were found: the French and German GPs emphasised the loss of the exceptionality of gambling, whereas the Finnish GPs highlighted the invasion of the home by online gambling. Furthermore, the Finnish and German participants were more concerned about the use of gambling as an emotional regulator, while French GPs echoed the French medical model in discussing the adrenaline rush of problem gamblers. CONCLUSIONS – Caillois’ defining factors of play can be used to distinguish recreational from problem gambling and to offer a more encompassing definition of problem gambling. The perception of the line between recreational and problem gambling also seems to depend on the institutional and cultural context.

scholarly journals RESPONSIBLE MARKETING AND ADVERTISING IN GAMBLING: A CRITICAL REVIEW

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 21-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Parke ◽  
Andrew Harris ◽  
Jonathan Parke ◽  
Jane Rigbye ◽  
Alex Blaszczynski
Keyword(s):  
Online Community ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Informed Choice ◽  
Responsible Gambling ◽  
Gambling Behaviour ◽  
Harm Minimisation ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Media Platform ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
The Impact

Marketing and advertising play a significant role in the adoption of attitudes and societal norms, which have been shown to have a direct impact on behavioural intentions, ultimately leading to behavioural execution. Concurrent with other attempts to inform policy strategy with respect to harm minimisation in gambling there is a paucity of evidence pertaining to the impact that gambling advertising has on gambling behaviour, gambling-related harm, and the efficacy of advertising regulations to minimise harm. There appears to be an overwhelming portrayal of gambling as a normative, legitimate social activity, at the expense of highlighting the potential risks involved. Furthermore, new marketing techniques utilising the social media platform are able to instil emotive and positive attitudes towards gambling brands and products, as well as enabling consumers to widely share and recommend gambling products across their online community, sometimes exposing under-age and vulnerable populations to gambling. The following paper critically reviews existing research investigating the impact of current gambling advertising and marketing campaigns on both vulnerable (i.e. adolescents and problem gamblers) and normal adult populations, looking specifically at the impact of exposure, the positive framing of gambling, and the transparency of marketing techniques. It is concluded that marketing and advertising in gambling needs to facilitate more informed choice for consumers, and a more balanced approach in the framing of gambling. It is suggested that risk information is presented asynchronously to gambling promotions, as opposed to being delivered as peripheral information, and moreover future strategies need to be based on robust empirical evidence demonstrating the impact of responsible gambling advertising and marketing on behaviour.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document