Operator-based approaches to harm minimisation in gambling: summary, review and future directions

In this report we give critical consideration to the nature and effectiveness of harm minimisation in gambling. We identify gambling-related harm as both personal (e.g., health, wellbeing, relationships) and economic (e.g., financial) harm that occurs from exceeding one’s disposable income or disposable leisure time. We have elected to use the term ‘harm minimisation’ as the most appropriate term for reducing the impact of problem gambling, given its breadth in regard to the range of goals it seeks to achieve, and the range of means by which they may be achieved. The extent to which an employee can proactively identify a problem gambler in a gambling venue is uncertain. Research suggests that indicators do exist, such as sessional information (e.g., duration or frequency of play) and negative emotional responses to gambling losses. However, the practical implications of requiring employees to identify and interact with customers suspected of experiencing harm are questionable, particularly as the employees may not possess the clinical intervention skills which may be necessary. Based on emerging evidence, behavioural indicators identifiable in industryheld data, could be used to identify customers experiencing harm. A programme of research is underway in Great Britain and in other jurisdiction

Exploring synergies between farmers' livelihoods, forest conservation and social equity participatory simulations for creative negotiation in Thailand highlands

En dépit de l'usage croissant du concept de développement durable, les interactions entre ses trois piliers (environnementaux, économiques et sociaux) sont plus souvent pensées en termes de compromis qu'en termes de synergies. À partir d'une étude de cas sur un conflit autour de l'accès aux ressources foncières et forestières entre un parc national en cours d'établissement et deux villages dans les hautes terres du Nord de la Thaïlande, cet article montre que le concept de négociation intégrative peut être intéressant pour révéler des synergies potentielles entre la préservation de l'environnement, la subsistance des agriculteurs, et l'équité sociale. Dans cette étude de cas, des sessions participatives de simulations multi-agents ont favorisé l'émergence d'un mode de négociation créatif et intégratif entre différents types d'agriculteurs, des forestiers et des agents du parc national. Ces simulations ont permis aux différents protagonistes de reformuler le problème en jeu et de réaliser qu'ils avaient des intérêts en commun, notamment dans la limitation de la déforestation et la gestion des produits forestiers de collecte. (Résumé d'auteur

Stakeholder-driven design and appraisal in hydroelectric projects: a participatory gaming approach

Hydropower is an important source of renewable energy, but large hydropower multipurpose river basin projects can displace communities and have serious adverse effects on the local environment and livelihoods. The Sardar Sarovar Dam in India and other similar projects have provoked local and international protest culminating in the temporary withdrawal of the World Bank from large hydropower project finance. It would appear to be a better option for powerful stakeholders to engage seriously with weaker ones. As well as ethical concerns, economic theory would suggest that there is a flawed basis for costbenefit analysis which omits input from local stakeholders, particularly that of indigenous peoples who also have a role to play in project design. It is argued that the Kaldor-Hicks criterion should be abandoned and that decisions should be made based on a multi-criteria analysis of which cost-benefit analysis is but one component. It is suggested that full stakeholder engagement could best be conducted through participatory role-playing games which are being increasingly found in use as a means of exploring and resolving stakeholder conflicts. Such use is still relatively recent and safeguards such as a neutral moderator, advocates and ethical gaming rules are required to protect weaker and non-expert stakeholders

The Genesis and Self-Reliance of Indonesian Local Game Developers as the National Creative Workers in Contemporary Indonesia

This study examines the contemporary condition of Indonesian local game developers as a part of the national creative workers. The case study method is applied in parallel with the participant’s observation and the results were retrieved by exploring and comparing interviews and observation findings. The subjects of this study include state-related ministries (The Ministry of Manpower and The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy), 12 founders of the Indonesian first-generation local game developer studios, 10 experienced local game workers, and two representatives of the Indonesian Game Association as a labor union. The results figured out the characteristics of Indonesian local game developers as youth-subcultural movements and recent challenges of state patronage, incentives, and human resource issues. The situation forced them to survive and organize a supportive labor union as a major incubator platform and crowdfunding scheme in developing local games

Children s Acceptance of a Collaborative Problem Solving Game Based on Physical Versus Digital Learning Spaces

[EN] Collaborative problem solving (CPS) is an essential soft skill that should be fostered from a young age. Research shows that a good way of teaching such skills is through video games; however, the success and viability of this method may be affected by the technological platform used. In this work we propose a gameful approach to train CPS skills in the form of the CPSbot framework and describe a study involving 80 primary school children on user experience and acceptance of a game, Quizbot, using three different technological platforms: two purely digital (tabletop and handheld tablets) and another based on tangible interfaces and physical spaces. The results show that physical spaces proved to be more effective than the screen-based platforms in several ways, as well as being considered more fun and easier to use by the children. Finally, we propose a set of design considerations for future gameful CPS systems based on the observations made during this study.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the European Regional Development Fund (project TIN2014-60077-R); Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (with fellowship FPU14/00136) and Conselleria d'Educacio, Cultura i Esport (Generalitat Valenciana, Spain) (grant ACIF/2014/214).Jurdi, S.; García Sanjuan, F.; Nácher-Soler, VE.; Jaén Martínez, FJ. (2018). Children s Acceptance of a Collaborative Problem Solving Game Based on Physical Versus Digital Learning Spaces. Interacting with Computers. 30(3):187-206. https://doi.org/10.1093/iwc/iwy006S18720630