Motivating and inhibiting factors in online gambling behaviour: a grounded theory study

To date, there has been very little empirical research examining why people gamble online or – just as importantly – why they do not gamble online. A grounded theory study examining the motivating and inhibiting factors in online gambling was carried out. The sample comprised 15 online gamblers, 14 offline gamblers, and 11 non-gamblers, and resulted in the identification of one major theme as to why participants were motivated to gamble online (i.e., greater opportunity to gamble) and four sub-themes (i.e., convenience, value for money, the greater variety of games, and anonymity). The main reason that inhibited online gambling was that the authenticity of gambling was reduced when gambling online. Four further sub-themes were identified as inhibitors of online gambling (i.e., the reduced realism, the asocial nature of the internet, the use of electronic money, and concerns about the safety of online gambling websites). Results also indicated that the participants’ perception was that online gambling was more addictive than offline gambling and that online gambling would exacerbate gambling problems in society

Efficient TTP-free mental poker protocols

Zhao et al proposed an efficient mental poker protocol which did not require using a Trusted Third Party(TTP). The protocol is efficient and suitable for any number of players but it introduces a security flaw. In this paper, we propose two mental poker protocols based on Zhao\u27s previous work. The security flaw has been removed and the additional computing cost is small

Indigenous Australians and gambling

Summary: This paper synthesises information published about Indigenous Australian gambling, and summarises issues and implications for key stakeholders. It is relevant for raising awareness and promoting community education about gambling for Indigenous Australians. Key messages Gambling is part of the social and cultural fabric of many Indigenous communities. Gambling rates are much higher among Indigenous Australians than in the wider Australian population, especially on “pokies” or electronic gaming machines. Positive consequences for Indigenous Australians who gamble include social engagement and social acceptance, reduced isolation, pleasure, physical comfort, an opportunity to win money, and some reduced alcohol consumption. Problem gambling and gambling-related harms are much more common among Indigenous Australians than in the wider Australian population. Cultural expectations to gamble and to share resources with relatives results in gambling-related harms stretching across whole Indigenous communities. Intergenerational transfer of gambling culture compounds ongoing gambling problems among Indigenous Australian communities. Risk factors common to Indigenous Australians include exposure to gambling as a child, high gambling expenditure, drinking alcohol and using drugs while gambling, and gambling to escape life concerns. Help-seeking rates are as low as in the wider population. To avoid shame and stigma, Indigenous persons first try to help themselves, they then turn to family, friends and community members. Family and friends struggle to assist problem gamblers, however, due to social norms approving gambling and low problem gambling recognition. &nbsp

Is the secrecy of the parametric configuration of slot machines rationally justified? The exposure of the mathematical facts of games of chance as an ethical obligation

Slot machines gained a high popularity despite a specific element that could limit their appeal: non-transparency with respect to mathematical parameters. The PAR sheets, exposing the parameters of the design of slot machines and probabilities associated with the winning combinations are kept secret by game producers, and the lack of data regarding the configuration of a machine prevents people from computing probabilities and other mathematical indicators. In this article, I argue that there is no rational justification for this secrecy by giving two reasons, one psychological and the other mathematical. For the latter, I show that mathematics provides us with some statistical methods of retrieving the missing data, which are essential for the numerical probability computations in slots. The slots case raises the problem of the exposure of the parametric configuration and mathematical facts of any game of chance as an ethical obligation

An empirical biometric-based study for user identification from different roles in the online game League of Legends

© 2017 CEUR-WS. All rights reserved. The popularity of computer games has grown exponentially in the last few years. In some games, players can choose to play with different characters from a pre-defined list, exercising distinct roles in each match. Although such games were created to promote competition and promote self-improvement, there are several recurrent issues. One that has received the least amount of attention is the problem of "account sharing" so far is when a player pays more experienced players to progressing in the game. The companies running those games tend to punish this behaviour, but this specific case is hard to identify. The aim of this study is to use a database of mouse and keystroke dynamics biometric data of League of Legends players as a case study to understand the specific characteristics a player will keep (or not) when playing different roles and distinct characters

The Hanabi Challenge: A New Frontier for AI Research

From the early days of computing, games have been important testbeds for studying how well machines can do sophisticated decision making. In recent years, machine learning has made dramatic advances with artificial agents reaching superhuman performance in challenge domains like Go, Atari, and some variants of poker. As with their predecessors of chess, checkers, and backgammon, these game domains have driven research by providing sophisticated yet well-defined challenges for artificial intelligence practitioners. We continue this tradition by proposing the game of Hanabi as a new challenge domain with novel problems that arise from its combination of purely cooperative gameplay with two to five players and imperfect information. In particular, we argue that Hanabi elevates reasoning about the beliefs and intentions of other agents to the foreground. We believe developing novel techniques for such theory of mind reasoning will not only be crucial for success in Hanabi, but also in broader collaborative efforts, especially those with human partners. To facilitate future research, we introduce the open-source Hanabi Learning Environment, propose an experimental framework for the research community to evaluate algorithmic advances, and assess the performance of current state-of-the-art techniques.Comment: 32 pages, 5 figures, In Press (Artificial Intelligence

Developing Artificial Intelligence Agents for a Turn-Based Imperfect Information Game

Artificial intelligence (AI) is often employed to play games, whether to entertain human opponents, devise and test strategies, or obtain other analytical data. Games with hidden information require specific approaches by the player. As a result, the AI must be equipped with methods of operating without certain important pieces of information while being aware of the resulting potential dangers. The computer game GNaT was designed as a testbed for AI strategies dealing specifically with imperfect information. Its development and functionality are described, and the results of testing several strategies through AI agents are discussed

Suporte para pseudonimato em jogos de mesa na Internet

Online gaming is an interesting way to bring players together from various locations without the need for physical presence. But it raises several security issues, one of them being the possibility of collusion attacks. Such attacks can involve different players working together for a common goal or a single player using multiple accounts (an attack called Sybil, or self-collusion). One way to combat collusion attacks is to prevent players from knowing whom they are playing with. However, this means that players must be anonymous to others. This would require that even some kind of long-term pseudonym could not be presented to other players, because it could be identified by possible Sybil attackers. To solve this problem, we implemented an architecture with Sybil attack prevention in mind. To create an architecture capable of accomplishing our goal, a system that has anonymity when matching via pseudonym but can also hold valuable data of the players was necessary. Using pseudonyms, both long and short-term, to counter Sybil attacks (keep Sybil attacks at a minimum) was the idea to avoid forced matches between players.Os jogos online são uma forma interessante de reunir jogadores de vários locais sem a necessidade de presença física. Mas levantam várias questões de segurança, uma das quais é a possibilidade de ataques de conluio. Tais ataques podem envolver diferentes jogadores a trabalhar em conjunto para um objetivo comum ou um único jogador usando múltiplas contas (um ataque chamado Sybil, ou auto-conluio). Uma forma de combater ataques de conluio é impedir que os jogadores saibam com quem estão a jogar. No entanto, isto significa que os jogadores devem ser anónimos para os outros. Isto exigiria algum tipo de pseudónimo de longo prazo que não pudesse ser apresentado a outros jogadores, porque poderia ser identificado por possíveis atacantes de Sybil. Para resolver este problema, implementámos uma arquitetura com a prevenção de ataques de Sybil em mente. Para criar uma arquitetura capaz de cumprir o nosso objetivo, era necessário um sistema que tivesse o anonimato ao fazer o matching através de pseudónimos, mas que também pudesse conter dados dos jogadores. A utilização de pseudónimos, tanto de longa como curta duração, para combater os ataques de Sybil (manter os ataques de Sybil no mínimo) foi a ideia utilizada para evitar um matching forçado entre os jogadores.Mestrado em Engenharia Informátic