The relationship between structural game characteristics and gambling behavior: a population-level study

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the structural characteristics and gambling behavior among video lottery terminal (VLT) gamblers. The study was ecological valid, because the data consisted of actual gambling behavior registered in the participants natural gambling environment without intrusion by researchers. Online behavioral tracking data from Multix, an eight game video lottery terminal, were supplied by Norsk-Tipping (the state owned gambling company in Norway). The sample comprised the entire population of Multix gamblers (N = 31,109) who had gambled in January 2010. The individual number of bets made across games was defined as the dependent variable, reward characteristics of a game (i.e., payback percentage, hit frequency, size of winnings and size of jackpot) and bet characteristics of a game (i.e., range of betting options and availability of advanced betting options) served as the independent variables. Control variables were age and gender. Two separate cross-classified multilevel random intercepts models were used to analyze the relationship between bets made, reward characteristics and bet characteristics, where the number of bets was nested within both individuals and within games. The results show that the number of bets is positively associated with payback percentage, hit frequency, being female and age, and negatively associated with size of wins and range of available betting options. In summary, the results show that the reward characteristics and betting options explained 27 % and 15 % of the variance in the number of bets made, respectively. It is concluded that structural game characteristics affect gambling behavior. Implications of responsible gambling are discussed

Use of Consumer Protection Tools on Internet Gambling Sites: Customer Perceptions, Motivators, and Barriers to Use

Internet gambling has been widely legalised in recognition of its capacity to, and the importance of, providing consumer protection tools to prevent and minimise gambling-related harms. Most licensed Internet gambling sites are required to provide consumer protection tools, including activity statements, deposit limits, and time-outs (temporary self-exclusion). However, few Internet gambling customers engage with the tools. An online survey of 564 customers of Australian Internet gambling sites aimed to understand the extent to which consumer protection tools are used, characteristics of those using these tools, and the perceptions and attitudes towards tool use, including barriers to use. Most participants were aware of the tools and had accessed activity statements; few had used deposit limits (24.5%) or time-outs (8.1%) but use of these restrictive tools was higher among those at-risk of gambling problems. Satisfaction with tools was generally high among users and tools were mostly used as intended; however, only moderate changes in behaviour were reported. Participants predominately did not use the restrictive tools as they did not see these as relevant for them, and they were perceived to be intended for people with gambling problems. The findings are important to drive necessary improvements to consumer protection efforts including efforts to encourage perception that tools are relevant for all customers. Changes to current practice, including terminology and promotion of tools, are needed by Internet gambling operators and policy makers to improve the utilisation and effectiveness of consumer protection tools to enable sustainable gambling among the broader cohort of Internet gamblers.This work was supported by an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Award [DE1060100459] awarded to Dr Sally Gainsbury and research funding provide by Responsible Wagering Australia to Gainsbury and Blaszczynski

Vital Business Educators Perceptions about the Usefulness of Business Education Periodicals

Problem: The business education literature isn’t accessible. Research Questions: Which business education periodicals do vital business educators perceive to be more useful? In which databases and/or indices are they found? How much literature is fugitive? What strategies might increase literature accessibility? Research Method: Delphi technique. Data Collection Procedures:A survey was distributed to 25 vital business educators. Results: The Delta Pi Epsilon Journal and the NABTE Review were rated as essential to the profession; nine periodicals were rated as very useful; and six periodicals were rated as useful. Eleven databases and indices were identified as potentially useful. Conclusions: Approximately 37% of the studied periodicals are fugitive, confirming literature inaccessibility. Recommendations: Strategies to increase the accessibility of the business education literature include libraries carefully selecting complementary databases, getting periodicals indexed, placing periodical tables of contents on the web, improving fugitive-literature retrieval skills, and developing an electronic business education database

Isolating the impact of specific gambling activities and modes on problem gambling and psychological distress in internet gamblers

Background Gambling disorder is related to high overall gambling engagement; however specific activities and modalities are thought to have stronger relationships with gambling problems. This study aimed to isolate the relationship between specific gambling activities and modalities (Internet and venue/land-based) to gambling disorder and general psychological distress. Past-month Internet gamblers were the focus of this investigation because this modality may be associated with gambling disorders in a unique way that needs to be separated from overall gambling intensity. Methods Australians who had gambled online in the prior 30 days (N = 998, 57% male) were recruited through a market research company to complete an online survey measuring self-reported gambling participation, problem gambling severity, and psychological distress. Results When controlling for overall gambling frequency, problem gambling was significantly positively associated with the frequency of online and venue-based gambling using electronic gaming machines (EGMs) and venue-based sports betting. Psychological distress was uniquely associated with higher frequency of venue gambling using EGMs, sports betting, and casino card/table games. Conclusions This study advances our understanding of how specific gambling activities are associated with disordered gambling and psychological distress in users of Internet gambling services. Our results suggest that among Internet gamblers, online and land-based EGMs are strongly associated with gambling disorder severity. High overall gambling engagement is an important predictor of gambling-related harms, nonetheless, venue-based EGMs, sports betting and casinos warrant specific attention to address gambling-related harms and psychological distress among gamblers.This work was supported by an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Award [DE1060100459] awarded to Dr. Sally Gainsbury. The funding body played no role in the design of the study, collection, analysis or interpretation of data or writing or approving the manuscript

Understanding use of consumer protection tools among Internet gambling customers: Utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior and Theory of Reasoned Action

Consumer protection tools such as activity statements, deposit limits, and temporary self-exclusion are provided by most Internet gambling websites to minimise gambling related harms through the prevention of problems and enhancement of controls for those at risk of disordered gambling. However, customer engagement with these tools is very low. Developing a theoretical framework to understand the reasons individuals use consumer protection tools is important to design strategies to increase uptake. Customers of Australian online wagering sites (N = 564) completed an online survey with a follow-up (N = 193) to assess whether the Theory of Planned Behaviour explained intention to use tools and actual behaviour with additional consideration of past tool use. Results showed that past tool use, attitudes and subjective norms, but not perceived behavioural control, were positively correlated with intention to use consumer protection tools. Intention to use the tools prospectively predicted actual tool use. The study validates past behaviour as a predictor of intention, and intention representing a significant predictor of future behaviour. The Theory of Reasoned Action (without the inclusion of perceived behavioural control), rather than Theory of Planned Behaviour, appears to be a suitable conceptual model to understand consumer protection tool use for Internet wagering websites. Use and application of consumer protection tools on gambling websites is not perceived as effortful, but under volitional control and straightforward. Positively influencing individual attitudes, perceived views of others and past tool use could increase online wagering customers' use of consumer protection tools.This research was supported by an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Award [DE1060100459] awarded to SG, and by funding from the Responsible Wagering Australia provided to SG and AB. The funding bodies had no involvement in the study design, collection, analysis, or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication

Self-reported losses versus actual losses in online gambling: an empirical study

Many research findings in the gambling studies field rely on self-report data. A very small body of empirical research also suggests that when using self-report, players report their gambling losses inaccurately. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the differences between objective and subjective gambling spent data by comparing gambler’s actual behavioral tracking data with their self-report data over a 1-month period. A total of 17,742 Norwegian online gamblers were asked to participate in an online survey. Of those surveyed, 1335 gamblers answered questions relating to gambling expenditure that could be compared with their actual gambling behavior. The study found that the estimated loss self-reported by gamblers was correlated with the actual objective loss and that players with higher losses tended to have more difficulty estimating their gambling expenditure (i.e., players who spent more money gambling also appeared to have more trouble estimating their expenses accurately). Overall, the findings demonstrate that caution is warranted when using self-report data relating to amount of money spent gambling in any studies that are totally reliant on self-report data

What does it mean to recover from a gambling disorder? Perspectives of gambling help service users

Background: There is no consensus on how to best define recovery in gambling disorder. This minimizes clinicians’ abilities to apply optimal treatment goals and contributes to inconsistency in the use of outcome variables to evaluate interventions. Current understanding of recovery is largely based on professional opinion and theoretical models of gambling disorder. This study aimed to examine core features of recovery identified by service users with lived experiences. Methods: Thematic analysis was applied to qualitative data from 32 face-to-face interviews. Interviewees were at various stages of help-seeking for gambling problems mostly related to electronic gaming machines via self-exclusion and/or specialized gambling counseling. Results: Recovery was perceived by the participants as a continuous process that encompasses periods of improvement and decline. Several key themes of recovery emerged; participants highlighted the importance of developing insight into the psychological and environmental processes that contribute to their gambling problem. Insight helped participants feel empowered to successfully manage their gambling urges and behavior. Recovery extended to building a meaningful life beyond gambling, which involved engagement in alternative activities and fostering strong social relationships. It included stabilization of personal finances and achieving general psychological health and wellbeing. Conclusions: Findings challenge acute symptom-focused models of recovery by broadening the definitional boundaries to include sustained improvements across multiple psychosocial dimensions. Greater emphasis should be given to service user-defined elements of recovery in treatment and research. The long-term perspective of the recovery process has implications for extending standard follow-up assessment intervals in gambling treatment studies.This study was partly funded by a deed of gift from ClubsNSW. The investigators conducted the research with no input from ClubsNSW in the design or methodology of the study. ClubsNSW imposed no constraints on publishing the results of the study. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article. This work was also supported by University postgraduate research funding awarded to Dylan Pickering, and an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Award [DE1060100459] awarded to Dr. Sally Gainsbury

Can disordered mobile phone use be considered a behavioral addiction? An update on current evidence and a comprehensive model for future research

Despite the many positive outcomes, excessive mobile phone use is now often associated with potentially harmful and/or disturbing behaviors (e.g., symptoms of deregulated use, negative impact on various aspects of daily life such as relationship problems, and work intrusion). Problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) has generally been considered as a behavioral addiction that shares many features with more established drug addictions. In light of the most recent data, the current paper reviews the validity of the behavioral addiction model when applied to PMPU. On the whole, it is argued that the evidence supporting PMPU as an addictive behavior is scarce. In particular, it lacks studies that definitively show behavioral and neurobiological similarities between mobile phone addiction and other types of legitimate addictive behaviors. Given this context, an integrative pathway model is proposed that aims to provide a theoretical framework to guide future research in the field of PMPU. This model highlights that PMPU is a heterogeneous and multi-faceted condition

Treatment Seeking Problem Gamblers: Characteristics of Individuals who Offend to Finance Gambling

The relationship between Crime and gambling is well established, however few studies have examined offending specifically to finance gambling within a UK gambling treatment-seeking population. 1226 treatment-seeking gamblers completed the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 item scale, and were asked whether they had committed any illegal behaviours to finance gambling. 42.5 % reported offending behaviour. A greater proportion of the offending group were single or married/ cohabiting, had a lower-level qualifications, lower income, had experienced childhood abuse, family mental health problems and gambling related harms compared to the non-offending group. Offenders reported higher anxiety, depression and disordered gambling scores. Disordered gamblers who offend make up a discrete and complex subgroup with distinct vulnerabilities. Findings will be useful to clinicians involved in the assessment and management of problematic gambling. Gamblers who offend to finance gambling may have different treatment needs and treatment providers should administer appropriate clinical interventions to address vulnerabilities