Journal of Gambling Studies最新文献

This study examines public attitudes toward sports betting and promotions in the United States by analyzing YouTube comments. Using keyword searches, 210 videos were identified, yielding 2,369 comments for analysis. A hybrid approach combining automated BERT sentiment analysis with human-coded content analysis was employed to determine overall sentiment and to identify key themes, endorsers, and sportsbook brands. Results revealed a predominance of negative and neutral sentiments, with positive sentiments least frequent. BERT detected more negative sentiments than the human-coded analysis, which indicated a more balanced distribution. Content analysis showed that positive responses were often directed at entertainment features such as humor, music, and celebrities, whereas negative responses focused on celebrity endorsements, excessive advertising exposure, and frustrations with sportsbook brands' customer services. Prominent celebrities, including Charles Barkley and Paige Spiranac, received relatively favorable comments, while Wayne Gretzky and Jamie Foxx were criticized. Larger sportsbook brands such as BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel were mentioned most often but attracted more negative feedback compared with smaller brands. These findings underscore the need for advertisers to balance entertainment with responsibility, for sports betting operators to improve transparency and user experience, and for regulators to establish clearer guidelines on advertising practices. Future research should consider longitudinal approaches and extend analysis to additional social media platforms to capture evolving public attitudes toward sports betting.

The phenomenon of increased risk-taking in the last round of a set of risky decision-making tasks is called the ending effect. Recent empirical studies proposed an emotional motivation account to explain the ending effect. That is, the pursuit of an emotionally satisfying ending leads to the increase of risk-taking. However, previous studies have mostly examined the ending effect at the behavioral level, there is yet no physiological evidence to examine the emotional motivation account. To fill in this gap of knowledge, the current study examined the emotional motivation account at the physiological level by recording pupil diameters, which reflect the activation of emotional motivation. Participants were randomly assigned to complete eight rounds or ten rounds of risk decision tasks while having their eyes tracked. The results showed a significant interaction between round and group on pupil diameter. Specifically, there was no significant difference between the first six rounds and the 8th round in the experimental group. For the control group, the pupil diameter of the first six rounds was significantly larger than the 8th round. Perceived ending may have sustained emotional arousal. This finding provides qualified physiological support for the emotional motivation account of the ending effect.

This study examines whether financial literacy is associated with reduced gambling risk using a large representative sample of the Australian population in the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. We analyzed four waves of biennial data from 2016 to 2022 that contain financial literacy and gambling modules, covering 13,358 respondents aged 15 and above, corresponding to 21,140 person-year observations. We found that higher financial literacy was associated with lower gambling risk measured by the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Instrumental variable regressions were used to address endogeneity and to strengthen the case for a causal relationship. However, financial literacy was not related to the gambling expenditure and the number of gambling activities respondents participated in. Mediation analysis suggested that locus of control might serve as a channel through which financial literacy mitigates the adverse consequences of gambling. The findings implied that financial knowledge may help reducing gambling-related harm, potentially via perceived control, even if it does not reduce participation or spending.

The predictive effect of stressful life events on problem gambling has been a hot topic in the field of addiction research. However, few studies have explored the underlying mechanisms. This study verifies the complete prediction process from stressful life events to problem gambling in the form of a quantitative study based on the structural equation modeling of gambling in Mainland China. Specifically, this study aims to explore the serial mediating effect of difficulties in emotion regulation and coping motives in the relationship between stressful life events and problem gambling. The participants in this study were 455 lottery gamblers from a province in Mainland China (Mage = 35.356, SD = 9.678, 32.967% female). They completed four assessments: the Problem Gambling Severity Index, the Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory, the Brief Version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, and the coping motives dimension of the Gambling Motives Questionnaire. The results showed that stressful life events had a significant positive predictive effect on problem gambling. Additionally, difficulties in emotion regulation positively predicted coping motives and mediated the relationship between stressful life events and problem gambling. Furthermore, difficulties in emotion regulation and coping motives played a serial mediating role in this relationship. However, coping motives alone did not significantly mediate the relationship between stressful life events and problem gambling. The contribution of this study is to elucidate the complete process by which stressful life events predict problem gambling, providing new insights and intervention strategies for the prevention of problem gambling in problem gamblers, including relieving stress through mindfulness, improving emotion regulation, and establishing correct gambling motivation. At the same time, it also fills the gap in the international gambling research that Chinese mainland samples are scarce.

There is growing recognition that those close to someone with problem gambling experience stress and strain. Research suggests they may also be at risk of developing gambling problems themselves, but this remains an underexplored area. The present study examined how exposure to problem gambling within family or friend networks relates to affected others' own gambling, and whether strong social connections reduce this risk. Using an eight-wave longitudinal dataset (N = 1530) with hybrid multilevel regression modeling, we analyzed within-person and between-person effects of exposure to a family member's or friend's problem gambling on affected others' own gambling. We further examined the protective role of social connectedness to family and friends. Gambling problems were assessed with the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and social relationships with the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA). Results indicated that individuals were more likely to develop problem gambling when they reported that a family member or a friend had gambling problems. Strong family relationships buffered against this risk, whereas friendships did not provide the same protection. These findings suggest that social relationships play an important role in shaping problem gambling among affected others and highlight the need to consider family and peer contexts in prevention and intervention strategies.

Gambling has become a significant social issue in Kenya, particularly among men in peri-urban areas, driven by economic hardships and the proliferation of digital betting platforms. This study aims to explore the reasons for gambling among men in Matasia Location, Ngong Sub-County, Kajiado County, a semi-arid region with notable socio-economic challenges. A descriptive mixed-methods approach was used, surveying 150 men aged 18-65 identified at gambling hotspots (betting shops, bars, and eateries), with 145 completing questionnaires (96.7% response rate). Data were collected in July 2025 and analysed using SPSS 25 for descriptive statistics and chi-square tests, complemented by thematic analysis of interviews. Key motivations, frequency, types, and spending habits of gambling were assessed to identify driving factors. The primary reason for gambling was the desire for wealth, as participants indicated 48.3% were motivated by this factor, followed by financial pressures, with survey data revealing 25.5% cited this reason. Daily gambling was reported, with individuals reporting 54.5% engaged in it regularly, and 57.2% spent KES 1,000-5,000 monthly. Sports betting and casino games were the most common types, with interviewees noted 58.6% preferred sports betting and 51.7% chose casino games. The Key Informant Interview (Member of County Assembly) for Matasia Location, highlighted idleness and unemployment as key drivers. Economic desperation and digital accessibility fuel gambling in Matasia, and interventions such as vocational training, financial literacy programs, and policy restrictions on online platforms are recommended, aligning with Kenya's National Substance Abuse Prevention Strategy (2021) and Sustainable Development Goal 3.

Gambling-related harm among armed forces (AF) personnel is a growing concern, yet public perceptions remain underexplored. Anticipated public stigma (the fear of how others perceive you) of gambling among the AF is a potential barrier to help-seeking. Understanding how the public perceives gambling in the AF is essential for shaping stigma-reduction strategies. A randomised, online 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment was conducted. A representative sample of the United Kingdom public (N = 396) was recruited through Prolific and randomly assigned to view a vignette featuring either an AF member or non-AF civilian who was described as engaging in either harmful or non-harmful gambling. Following exposure to their assigned vignette, participants completed measures assessing stigma and empathy towards the depicted individual. Participants perceived individuals from the AF as significantly more dangerous (p = .002) compared to non-AF civilians. When the vignette depicted gambling-related harm, as opposed to recreational gambling, participants reported significantly higher stigma across seven of the ten stigma measures (all p < .001). This study highlights how public stigma towards gambling harm is strong and can be shaped by military status, with AF personnel facing increased perceptions of dangerousness. Findings underscore the need for public stigma-reduction strategies that address both gambling-related and military-specific misconceptions.