A Longitudinal Investigation of Lower-Risk Gambling Limits in the Canadian National Study
AbstractRecent years have seen increased attention given to identifying and describing the levels of gambling participation that confer a risk of harm in order to generate public health advice regarding lower-risk gambling. However, most of the existing literature has failed to explicitly assess these limits in a prospective manner. The purpose of this study is to employ a methodology consistent with prior investigations to evaluate the level of gambling participation associated with an increased risk of future gambling-related harm. Using data from the Alberta Gambling Research Institute ’s National Project Online Panel...
Source: Journal of Gambling Studies - April 23, 2024 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Skill-Based Electronic Gaming Machines: Features that Mimic Video Gaming, Features that could Contribute to Harm, and Their Potential Attraction to Different Groups
AbstractNew gambling products have been developed over time as technology permits. For example, early mechanical slot machines were later replaced by electronic gaming machines (EGMs), which enabled a faster speed of play and more immersive experience. EGMs have in the decades since their invention become one of the main drivers of gambling expenditure worldwide and are one of the gambling products most strongly associated with harm. This literature review considers research relevant to a new subcategory of EGM, ‘skill-based’ EGMs, termed ‘SGMs’ here. SGMs can be highly varied in content, with some representing a m...
Source: Journal of Gambling Studies - April 23, 2024 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Problem Gambling and Suicidal Behaviours in Young Adult men in Ghana: A Moderated Mediation Model of Psychological Distress and Social Support
This study assessed if the effect of problem gambling severity on suicidal behaviours (ideation, planning, and attempts) through psychological distress is contingent on the level of perceived social support. A total of 350 young adult men in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana provided the data for the current analysis. The data were analysed using a moderated mediation approach. The results showed that psychological distress is an important intervening mechanism through which problem gambling severity influences suicidality. In addition, the positive association between psychological distress and suicidal behaviours was fou...
Source: Journal of Gambling Studies - April 23, 2024 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Exploring the Differences in Positive Play among Various Sports Wagering Behaviors
AbstractRecent technological advances and legislative changes have led to an increase of sports wagering across the United States, raising concerns about possible increases in problem gambling behaviors. This, in turn, points to an increased need to understand responsible gambling and how it relates to sports gambling behaviors. The present work utilizes the Positive Play Scale (PPS), a recent scale designed to measure the increasingly popular responsible gambling concept of Positive Play, to assess how various aspects of sports gambling relate to responsible gambling. Participants were recruited by YouGov Opinion polling ...
Source: Journal of Gambling Studies - April 23, 2024 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Exploring the Complex Dynamics: Examining the Influence of Deviant Personas in Online Gambling
AbstractThe widespread use of computers and the Internet has substantially changed the gaming environment during the past ten years. The gambling industry is no longer exclusive to land-based gaming establishments (such as casinos and racetracks). Today, a few keystrokes on a computer are all it takes to access gaming operations. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and various other platforms constitute a particular form of access that has drawn more attention from academics in gambling studies. This increasing focus is partially attributable to the fact that social media sites have gained popularity ...
Source: Journal of Gambling Studies - April 22, 2024 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Overtime: Long-Term Betting Trajectories Among Highly-Involved and Less-Involved Online Sports Bettors
AbstractOnline sports gambling involvement is discontinuous in nature, with small groups of highly involved gamblers exhibiting betting behavior that is distinctly greater than other gamblers. There is some question about whether these groups, defined by exceedingly high levels of play, also have equivalently high rates of gambling problems, and whether they maintain these play levels over time. The current study builds on past work by examining the long-term trajectories of play and voluntary self-exclusion patterns across two years among a cohort of 32,262 highly-involved and less-involved online sports gamblers. We also...
Source: Journal of Gambling Studies - April 9, 2024 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Characteristics of Gambling Helpline Callers in Macao: A Regional Comparison
AbstractDespite the continued focus on profiling gambling helpline callers, little is known about the characteristics of callers in Macao. To address this gap, this study aims to investigate the characteristics of problem gamblers calling the helpline in Macao and explore the regional differences between callers from Macao, mainland China, and Hong Kong. Specifically, the study examined their demographics, helpline usage, and gambling-related characteristics. The study used data collected by SKHSSCO between 2015 and 2021. The results showed that, at the aggregate level, the helpline callers in Macao were male, young, and f...
Source: Journal of Gambling Studies - April 9, 2024 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
A Double-Edged-Sword Effect of Overplacement: Social Comparison Bias Predicts Gambling Motivations and Behaviors in Chinese Casino Gamblers
AbstractOverconfidence, a widely observed cognitive bias, has been linked to increased gambling motivations and behaviors. However, previous studies have largely overlooked overconfidence under a social comparison context, known as overplacement, i.e., the tendency of individuals to believe that they are better than their similar peers. In the present study, we tested the effect of overplacement on gambling motivations and behaviors though a Pilot Survey of Chinese college students (N = 129) and a Field Survey of Chinese Macao casino gamblers (N = 733). Our results revealed a double-edged sword effect of overplacem...
Source: Journal of Gambling Studies - April 9, 2024 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
The Ending Effect in the Domain of Gambling: The Effect of Gain-Loss Status on Economic Decision-Making
AbstractPrevious studies have shown that people prefer risk-taking at the end of gambles, a phenomenon called the ending effect. By using the Guess Gambling Game, we investigated the impact of gain-loss status on the ending effect (Experiment 1) andwhether and how this effect may be affected by time reference (Experiment 2) and gender (Experiment 1&2). In Experiment 1, we observed the ending effect only in the gain group. Furthermore, gender differences exist in the loss group behavior, females were more risk-averse than males, and males tend to investment more initially and then reduce their investment in a U-shaped p...
Source: Journal of Gambling Studies - April 9, 2024 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Gambling in a U.S. Census Matched Sample: Examining Interactions between Means and Motives in Predicting Problematic Outcomes
AbstractThe influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on risk of Problem Gambling (PG) is complex, particularly given recent evidence that SES should be understood in both objective and subjective terms. Likewise, financial gambling motives have been found to be predictive of PG; however, financial motives are less understood in comparison to other gambling motives. Preliminary findings on SES and gambling points towards a pattern of social inequality in which those with the least financial resources (e.g., income) or that feel financially deprived relative to others (e.g., perceived deprivation) experience greater harm and ...
Source: Journal of Gambling Studies - April 9, 2024 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
The Relevance of Marketing in Sports Betting Perceptions and Behaviors Across Different age Groups
AbstractSports betting and its associated problems are increasing rapidly. Moreover, it has been widely advertised and marketed, successfully reaching young adult males. This work aims to review recent publications regarding the relationship between marketing and sports betting perceptions and behaviors across different ages. For this purpose, a search in the PubMed database was set for 5 years (November 2014 – November 2019). The search terms included: “Sports betting AND children”, “Sports betting AND young adult”, “Sports betting AND adult”. The search generated 131 articles, including some duplications. O...
Source: Journal of Gambling Studies - April 9, 2024 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Gambling and Migration – The Role of Culture and Family
AbstractProblem gambling (PG) is a public health concern with severe repercussions for the individual, concerned significant others and the society. Foreign borns generally gamble less but are overrepresented among those with PG. Previous research has suggested that other factors, such as socio-economic status, might explain this, but also that cultural factors might play a role in the relationship to gambling and the development of PG. This qualitative study using content analysis investigates the experiences of and opinions about gambling and PG among 12 males living in Sweden with a migrant background in Afghanistan, th...
Source: Journal of Gambling Studies - April 9, 2024 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Mapping Youth Awareness of Sports Betting Advertising During the 2022 FIFA World Cup
This study underscores the need for policy measures that limit young people's exposure to gambling adver tising, particularly for products that may contribute to gambling-related harm, and that increase the promotion of responsible gambling tools. (Source: Journal of Gambling Studies)
Source: Journal of Gambling Studies - April 3, 2024 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Unmasking Risky Habits: Identifying and Predicting Problem Gamblers Through Machine Learning Techniques
In this study, we propose a novel approach that combines two documented methods. First we create labels for problem gamblers in an unsupervised manner. Subsequently, we develop prediction models to identify these users in real-time. The methods presented in this study offer useful insights that can be leveraged to implement interventions aimed at guiding or discouraging players from engaging in disordered gambling behaviors. This has potential implications for promoting responsible gambling and fostering healthier player habits. (Source: Journal of Gambling Studies)
Source: Journal of Gambling Studies - April 3, 2024 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Is There a Gender Gap in the Birthday-Number Effect? The Case of Lotto Players and the Role of Sequential Choice
AbstractThe literature on lottery gambling shows that players do not select numbers randomly, a phenomenon which is called conscious selection. Mainly, players prefer “small” numbers (less than thirty), either because of the existence of small lucky numbers or because they are victims of the so-called birthday-number effect. Because lotto games are parimutuel, such preferences result in poor ticket choices in terms of achieving below average returns. Using da ta from Belgium, where approximately 10% of the population plays lotto games every week, this paper extends prior literature by documenting the existence of a gen...
Source: Journal of Gambling Studies - March 27, 2024 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
