Predicting Psychotherapy Session Attendance among Individuals Experiencing Gambling-Related Harms

Almost 2 in 5 individuals experiencing gambling-related harms will initiate treatment and then prematurely discontinue. However, studies have proven unsuccessful in identifying a consistent set of variables that predict discontinuation. The absence of consistent findings may be attributed to 1) disparate definitions of discontinuation and 2) the focus on demographic variables rather than personal history variables that might impact the receipt of treatment. The present study intends to improve upon existing research by focusing on treatment participation (i.e., number of sessions attended) rather than discontinuation and examining a broader set of variables that are specific to an individual’s gambling and financial status before deciding to enter treatment (i.e., pretreatment abstinence, bankruptcy, debt). Archival data from a sample of 128 patients receiving treatment for gambling-related harms at an outpatient treatment facility will be analyzed. On average, participants are 45 years old and predominantly men (55.8%) who represent diverse races (58% White and 37% Black). Participants completed a battery of self-report questions assessing for demographic information, pre-treatment financial status, and gambling history. Linear regressions and independent samples t-tests will be used. Implications: These results may elucidate a relation between previously unexplored variables and psychotherapy session attendance. We anticipate that this finding would enhance clinicians’ ability to identify patients at risk of low treatment engagement. It may also inform future research intending to mitigate the risk of low engagement through targeted interventions

Does Twitter User Activity Promote Gambling-Related Content?

Social media has provided gambling operators with access to millions of individuals and novel ways to promote gambling. Research has suggested that exposure to gambling advertisements on social media platforms is associated with increased gambling in individuals at-risk for problem gambling. These findings bring into question whether social media platforms are sensitive to differences in user account activity (e.g., tweets, likes, accounts visited) when displaying advertisements and gambling-related content. To assess for these differences, four Twitter accounts were created and assigned to send out tweets containing pro-wagering versus safe-wagering-related messages. Additionally, one of each account was assigned to interact with Twitter profiles associated with gambling operators or responsible gambling. Accounts were assessed daily for advertisement traffic and gambling-related content from January to March 2022. The study included three phases that implemented changes in privacy settings, websites visited, and gambling-related tweets observed. To assess for between-phase differences, Tau-U analyses were performed using R. No gambling advertisements were observed throughout the study. Nongambling advertisements remained constant across all accounts. Gambling-related content observed depended on assigned account activity. Accounts that interacted with gambling operators’ profiles were only displayed pro-wagering-related content. Conversely, accounts that interacted with responsible gambling profiles were only displayed safe-wagering-related content. Findings suggest that Twitter is sensitive to differences in account activity. Social media platforms’ ethical obligations have been a topic of concern. However, it seems that the type of gambling-related content displayed on Twitter largely depends on the user’s activity, thus, placing responsibility for what is displayed on the user

Does Gambling-Focused Treatment Affect Mental Health and Quality of Life? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract: Cognitive-behavioral (CB) techniques have received substantial empirical support for reducing gambling disorder symptoms and behavior. What has not been established is whether gambling-focused treatment reduces psychological problems and improves quality of life. Individuals experiencing gambling-related harms report that sustained recovery involves changing both gambling behaviors and psychological problems and building a meaningful life. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the effect of CB techniques targeting gambling harms on nontargeted outcomes such as psychological problems and quality of life. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic article search was conducted to locate published studies of randomized controlled trials of CB techniques targeting gambling harms and reporting nontargeted outcomes. Random effects meta-analysis was used to quantify the effect of CB techniques on nontargeted outcomes. Ten studies representing 797 participants were included. Eight studies reported the effect of CB techniques on anxiety, 8 on depression, 3 on substance use, and 7 on quality of life. CB techniques significantly reduced anxiety (g = -0.44), depression (g = -0.35), gambling frequency (g = -0.30), and gambling intensity (g = -0.36) at posttreatment, but not substance use. CB techniques also significantly improved quality of life (g = 0.39) at posttreatment. Implications: The targeted reduction of gambling harms may serve as a mechanism of change for reducing psychological problems and improving quality of life. Future studies should employ longitudinal designs to understand the associations between gambling reductions and changes in nontargeted recovery outcomes over time

Play responsibly? Perceptions of Warning Messages on Lottery Tickets

Abstract: In the United States, 62% of adults reported purchasing lottery tickets in the past year. For some, such gambling has been associated with negative consequences. To inform consumers and minimize negative consequences, responsible gambling messages often appear on lottery tickets. However, consumers’ reception, comprehension and perceived effectiveness of these messages have not been explored. Our team recently completed two studies that examined consumers’ experience of warning messages commonly found on US lottery tickets. Across these studies, participants were given minimal instructions or told to search for two warning messages on the scratch off tickets. In study 1, participants’ handling of the lottery ticket was video recorded. In study 2, participants examined both sides of lottery tickets on a computer as their gaze was recorded using an eye tracking program. Participants’ perceptions of effectiveness of the two warning messages were then assessed. In both studies, few participants identified warning messages regardless of the instructions or method for presenting the tickets. Subsequent assessment of their understanding and perception of warning messages questions whether the messages effectively warn consumers. Implication: These findings indicate that consumers are unlikely to receive the warning messages often found on scratch-off lottery tickets and that message presentation needs additional exploration. Further, the content of these messages does not appear to be effective in informing consumers of their potential risk

Effects of Alcohol Consumption on Gambling Warning Message Recall and Recognition

Warning messages inform consumers of potential risks and to reduce the likelihood of excessive engagement in risky behaviors. Studies have established the effects of warning messages for electronic gambling machines. Few have explored how contextual variables, such as alcohol consumption, impact the recall and recognition of gambling-related warning messages. This study examined the effects of alcohol consumption on the recall and recognition of these messages. In this laboratory study, participants were 65 college students who were over 21 years old, regularly consumed alcohol, gambled previously, physically healthy, and screened negative for depression. Eligible participants were randomized to consume alcohol (target BAC = .06-.08%) or juice and then invited to gamble for 30 minutes using a pre-programmed slot machine. Every 20 spins one of four warning messages was displayed. Following the gambling session, participants completed a filler task before being asked to complete recall and recognition tasks related to the content of the warning messages. No significant differences in warning message recall were observed. However, participants’ responses showed a general understanding of the content of the messages. Those in the alcohol condition produced more incorrect responses on the recognition task than those in the control condition. Responsible gambling practices need to consider the role of alcohol and other contextual variables that might influence the reception of positive play and warning messages. Future studies should explore how variation of message content or presentation impacts message reception while under the influence of alcohol

Alcohol Consumption while Gambling: New Evidence within a Responsible Gambling Framework

Alcohol is frequently accessible to patrons in gambling venues. Concerns have repeatedly arisen that drinking while gambling will increase risk-taking and gambling-related harm. This talk will first present a systematic review and meta-analysis, which precisely explored disparate findings of experimental investigations of the effects of acute alcohol consumption on gambling and risk-taking. This review revealed no difference between those who consumed alcohol and alcohol-placebo beverages but a reliable difference when alcohol was compared to a non-alcohol condition, suggesting potential expectancy effects. A second study examined predictors of simultaneous drinking while gambling through self-report that confirmed the meta-analytic findings. Specifically, those who consumed alcohol more frequently and screened positive for a gambling problem reported greater time spent consuming alcohol while gambling. The third study explored individuals’ expectations of how alcohol may influence their gambling experience and the effects those expectations might have on their gambling behaviors. Over half of participants agreed that they felt more confident, felt luckier, and their gambling skills increased while consuming alcohol. Those who held these positive expectations reported spending more time consuming alcohol while gambling. Collectively, these studies can guide responsible gambling policy and practices to more precisely understand how to inform consumers. Responsible gambling policy should be guided by a more precise understanding of how drinking while gambling might increase risk. These studies highlight that the effects may center on consumer expectations about alcohol. Finally, clinicians treating those with gambling problems should assess clients’ alcohol use and how they expect it to impact their gambling