scholarly journals Is "pop-up" messaging in online slot machine gambling effective as a responsible gambling strategy?

2014 ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Auer ◽  
Doris Malischnig ◽  
Mark Griffiths

Certain gambling operators now provide social responsibility tools to help players gamble more responsibly. One such innovation is the use of pop-up messages that aim to give feedback to the players about the time and money they have thus far spent gambling. Most studies of this innovation have been conducted in laboratory settings, and although controlled studies are indeed more reliable than real-world studies, the non-ecological validity of laboratory studies is still an issue. This study investigated the effects of a slot machine pop-up message in a real gambling environment by comparing the behavioural tracking data of two representative random samples of 400,000 gambling sessions before and after the pop-up message was introduced. The study comprised approximately 200,000 gamblers. The results indicated that, following the viewing of a pop-up message after 1000 consecutive gambles on an online slot machine game, nine times more gamblers ceased their gambling session than did those gamblers who had not viewed the message. The data suggest that pop-up messages can influence a small number of gamblers to cease their playing session, and that pop-ups appear to be another potentially helpful social responsibility tool in reducing excessive play within session.

2019 ◽  
pp. 181-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joachim Haeusler

This stakeholder suggests that any interaction with existing, prospective, or former customers falls within the scope of responsible gambling. The responsible gambling strategy determines how responsibility is shared between customers and gambling operators and assigns to the customer adequate intervention options based on the entirety of available information on his or her ability to make responsible decisions. The author argues that responsible gambling activities should aim to intervene as early as possible and as little as necessary, leaving as much responsibility with the consumer as viable. Eventually, operators cannot—in some cases—avoid accepting the full responsibility and must impose restrictions even against the volition of the consumer. Even though the customer might have the final decision on whether and to what extent to gamble, operators have the final decision—based on their own risk-management and well-documented observations—whether to continue serving the customer to avoid taking part in continued self-harm. This process must, however, be conducted in a transparent and nondiscriminatory manner.


2020 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Lalande ◽  
Mathieu Emond ◽  
Emilie Bélanger

In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of an exaggerated return rate on players’ errors of estimation and irrational beliefs. Conventional return rates for slot machines are set around 92%, whereas online gambling websites often use much higher return rates during demonstration (demo) play. Seventy college students were randomly assigned to play a virtual slot machine programmed to reflect a 92% return rate (control group) or a 180% return rate (experimental group). They completed self-reported measures of errors of estimation (e.g., chances of winning and losing) and irrational beliefs (e.g., having already won guarantees future wins) before and after playing a virtual slot machine for 10 min. Results from mixed 2 x 2 analyses of variance revealed statistically significant differences in errors of estimation (i.e., chances of winning, chances of winning the jackpot, chances of neither winning nor losing) between the experimental and control groups. Furthermore, participants estimated having less chance of losing during a slot machine session after exposure to the exaggerated return rate. Given the fact that many online gambling websites use similar exaggerated return rates during the demo period of their virtual slot machines, the present results suggest that this tactic may incite players to behave differently than they would otherwise during a gambling session. Implications for responsible gambling strategies are discussed.RésuméLa présente étude visait à évaluer l’impact d’un taux exagéré de retour sur les erreurs d’estimation et les croyances irrationnelles des joueurs. Les taux de retour conventionnels pour les machines à sous sont établis à environ 92%, tandis que les sites de jeux en ligne utilisent souvent des taux de retour beaucoup plus élevés dans les démonstrations de jeux. Soixante-dix étudiants universitaires ont été assignés au hasard à une machine à sous virtuelle programmée qui reflète un taux de retour de 92 % (groupe témoin) ou une autre affichant un taux de retour de 180 % (groupe expérimental). Ils ont complété des mesures auto-déclarées des erreurs d’estimation (p. ex., les chances de gagner et de perdre) et des croyances irrationnelles (p. ex., avoir déjà gagné garantit des gains futurs) avant et après avoir joué à une machine à sous virtuelle pendant 10 minutes. Les résultats d’analyses de la variance (mixte 2 x 2) ont révélé des différences statistiquement significatives dans les erreurs d’estimation (c’est-à-dire les chances de gagner, les chances de gagner le jackpot, les chances de ne pas gagner ni de perdre) entre le groupe expérimental et le groupe témoin. De plus, les participants ont estimé avoir moins de chances de perdre pendant une séance de machine à sous après avoir été exposés au taux de retour exagéré. Étant donné que de nombreux sites de jeux en ligne utilisent des taux de retour exagérés similaires pendant la démonstration de leurs machines à sous virtuelles, les résultats actuels suggèrent que cette tactique peut inciter les joueurs à se comporter différemment que pendant une séance de jeu avec une machine affichant un taux de retour conventionnel. On y aborde les conséquences pour les stratégies de jeu responsable.


1995 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisardo Becoña ◽  
Francisco Labrador ◽  
Enrique Echeburúa ◽  
Elena Ochoa ◽  
Miguel Angel Vallejo

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 408-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaëtan Devos ◽  
Luke Clark ◽  
Pierre Maurage ◽  
Marlena Kazimierczuk ◽  
Joël Billieux

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Dymond ◽  
Kate McCann ◽  
Joanne Griffiths ◽  
Amanda Cox ◽  
Victoria Crocker

2011 ◽  
pp. 54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garry Smith ◽  
Dan Rubenstein

While much has been written about the need for governments and the gambling industry to act responsibly in their provision of gambling, only modest advances have been made to establish best practices in this area. Worldwide, few governments even approach what William Eadington, in Trends in gambling and responsible gaming in the US and elsewhere (2003, http://www.888betsoff.com/links/04_presentations/Eadington.pdf), calls a stage-four level of responsible gambling stewardship, that is, the unconditional acceptance of strong measures to attenuate gambling-related harms. One of the cornerstones of a gambling regime oriented toward consumer safety and public interest is a commitment by government and the gambling industry to meet commendable standards for accountability and social responsibility. After studying the government's legislative framework for the operation and regulation of gambling in the province of Ontario (Canada), reviewing the province's gambling-related mission and public-policy statements, and interviewing key actors in the government's gambling administration, a template was developed for an optimally socially responsible and accountable gambling regime that operates in the public interest. The template, along with suggestions for improving accountability and social responsibility in the provision of gambling, is presented.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Bjørseth ◽  
Josefine Oudmayer Simensen ◽  
Aina Bjørnethun ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths ◽  
Eilin K. Erevik ◽  
...  

Pop-up messages utilized by gambling operators are normally presented to gamblers during gambling sessions in order to prevent excessive gambling and/or to help in the appraisal of maladaptive gambling cognitions. However, the effect of such messages on gambling behavior and gambling cognitions has not previously been synthesized quantitatively. Consequently, a meta-analysis estimating the efficacy of pop-up messages on gambling behavior and cognitions was conducted. A systematic literature search with no time constraints was performed on Web of Science, PsychInfo, Medline, PsychNET, and the Cochrane Library. Search terms included “gambling,” “pop-up,” “reminder,” “warning message,” and “dynamic message.” Studies based on randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental designs and pre-post studies reporting both pre- and post-pop-up data were included. Two authors independently extracted data using pre-defined fields including quality assessment. A total of 18 studies were included and data were synthesized using a random effects model estimating Hedges' g. The effects of pop-ups were g = 0.413 for cognitive measures (95% CI = 0.115–0.707) and g = 0.505 for behavioral measures (95% CI = 0.256–0.746). For both outcomes there was significant between-study heterogeneity which could not be explained by setting (laboratory vs. naturalistic) or sample (gambler vs. non-gamblers). It is concluded that pop-up messages provide moderate effects on gambling behavior and cognitions in the short-term and that such messages play an important role in the gambling operators' portfolio of responsible gambling tools.


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany Cheng Han Leung ◽  
Rob Gray

Purpose This paper aims to explore the extent to which social responsibility and social and environmental reporting and disclosure have any relevance in the (so-called) controversial industries. The literature is ambivalent over the extent to which it is expected to see corporate social responsibility and social disclosure employed as active legitimation strategies. However, the apparent importance of “responsible gambling” in both the literature and in gambling industry initiatives suggests, at least a priori, that the international industry is active in some degree of legitimation. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory study examines the social and environmental disclosures of a sample of large companies in each of five countries over a three-year period using conventional content analysis. Findings The results are unexpected in that, although disclosure is dominated by employee- and director-related, other areas of social and environmental – and indeed economic – activity feature hardly at all. There is remarkably little disclosure around responsible gambling. Research limitations/implications The paper is a research note based on a range of samples across five countries and is, inevitably, tentative. The implications, albeit tentative, include the need to re-theorise corporate disclosure, especially in the controversial sectors. Originality/value The note adds to the accounting literature concerned with the controversial industries and contributes to the scarce social accounting research in the gambling sector. The authors hope that the research will be useful in guiding more focused and in-depth studies into this increasingly important and counter-intuitive area.


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