Journal of Gambling Studies最新文献

The existing literature predominantly focuses on clinical conditions related to gambling, with evidence suggesting the co-occurrence of gambling disorders, major depressive disorders, and personality disorders. This study aimed to broaden our understanding beyond clinical conditions by investigating the impact of different gambling activity groups on mental wellbeing. These activity groups were identified using latent class analysis, which enabled a person-centered approach to examine the types and the number of gambling activities as well as expenditure levels, as a single latent variable. Based on the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, our findings suggested that gambling activity groups were associated with reduced mental wellbeing through problem gambling symptoms. Among respondents with the same levels of problem gambling symptoms and age, men who engaged in multiple gambling activities with high spending tended to have better mental wellbeing than those primarily gambling on lotteries. In contrast, women's mental wellbeing did not differ across gambling activity groups. This study clarifies the roles of problem gambling symptoms and gambling activity groups in reduced mental wellbeing. Gambling activity groups featuring multiple activities, high spending, and electronic gaming machines (EGMs) were related to problem gambling symptoms. This study shifts the focus from examining how gambling influences specific mental health conditions or symptoms to exploring its impact on overall mental wellbeing. The empirical evidence supports the expansion of targeted, evidence-based strategies beyond treatments to preventive measures that promote mental wellbeing.

Gambling among college students is a growing public health concern, with approximately 10.2% experiencing problem gambling and 6.1% meeting criteria for gambling disorder. These rates are significantly higher than those in the general adult population. The transitional nature of college life, combined with increased independence, peer influence, and the widespread availability of online gambling platforms, places students at heightened risk. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aimed at reducing gambling behaviors among college students. This systematic review evaluated RCTs published over the past 25 years targeting gambling behaviors among college students. Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted across four databases to assess the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic, psychoeducational, and personalized feedback interventions. A total of 14 studies met the inclusion criteria. Interventions based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing (MI) consistently reduced gambling frequency and harm. Personalized normative feedback (PNF) interventions significantly lowered perceived gambling norms and self-reported behaviors. Technology-driven strategies, including smartphone-based interventions and pop-up messages prompting time limits, improved accessibility and reduced gambling duration. Group-based CBT interventions demonstrated particular effectiveness through peer accountability and skill-building. However, gaps remain in addressing online gambling behaviors, cultural adaptability, and co-occurring mental health conditions. Evidence supports the efficacy of CBT, MI, and PNF-based interventions in reducing gambling among college students. Digital and group-based approaches show promise for scalability. Future public health interventions should address the unique risks of online gambling and integrate mental health support. OSF Registration DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/D97QX .

This study investigates how perceived legality of online sports betting influences perceptions of consumer protection, behavioral control, and future betting intentions. Employing general linear modeling (GLM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analyses (fsQCA), we assess these relationships across different types of online betting activities and among varying levels of betting experience. Results revealed that participants who perceived online sports betting as legal reported higher levels of perceived consumer protection, perceived behavioral control, and future betting intentions. The fsQCA identified specific configurations leading to high future betting intentions. Notably, two configurations emerged: (1) bettors who perceive betting as legal, participate in Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS), and have high perceived behavioral control; and (2) bettors involved in prop pick'em wagering with high perceived consumer protection and high perceived behavioral control. This study highlights the importance of perceived legality, consumer protection, and behavioral control in shaping consumer perceptions and intentions with online sports betting. The identification of specific factor combinations suggests that regulatory and policy efforts should consider the multifaceted nature of consumer behavior in online sports betting. Tailored strategies that enhance legal consciousness, strengthen consumer protection measures, and empower bettors can more effectively promote responsible gaming practices.

This research examines the role of material values, financial well-being, and monetary motivation in shaping gambling behavior in young male sports bettors in Türkiye. A total of 562 participants aged 18-35 were surveyed using validated scales measuring materialism, financial well-being, gambling motives, and sports betting severity. Through latent profile analysis, four distinct profiles were identified: Stability-Oriented Participants, Instability-Driven Risk Takers, Financially Content-Low-Risk Bettors, and Financially Pressured-Materialistic Bettors. ANCOVA results indicated a significant difference in the severity of sports betting across profiles (η² = 0.35), with the most problematic behavior occurring in those with high materialism, low financial well-being, and strong monetary motives. The results were interpreted through the lenses of Contingent Self-Worth Theory, Prospect Theory, and Self-Regulation Theory, and situated within Türkiye's socioeconomic context. This person-centered study makes unique contributions by revealing psychological and structural patterns underlying gambling behavior and offering practical applications for clinical, educational, and policy-level interventions.

Since the federal ban on sports betting was lifted in 2018, the industry has grown rapidly in the United States, raising concerns about the risk of problem gambling. Building on existing research that suggests the limited effectiveness of traditional responsible gambling campaigns, the current study examines whether the use of celebrity endorsers in advertising can enhance responsible gambling intentions. Using a scenario-based experiment with 383 U.S. sports bettors, regression analyses reveal that an endorser whose image aligns with the target audience increases consumer awareness of responsible gambling messages, thereby enhancing intentions to gamble responsibly. In addition, an image-congruent endorser boosts consumers' betting intentions and word-of-mouth advocacy for the sportsbook. Although image congruence in advertising is often operationalized through racial similarity, the findings suggest that same-race endorsers are effective in enhancing image congruence only when sports betting is perceived as socially acceptable. This study is the first to examine the effect of endorser-consumer image congruence on consumer intentions toward both sports betting brands and responsible gambling. The findings provide important insights to sportsbooks aiming to balance branding and social responsibility in marketing campaigns.

Self-exclusion is a promising intervention for reducing gambling behavior and gambling problems. Casino patrons have reported difficulties when requesting information or exercising the option to self-exclude. Employing an audit methodology, a pair of observational studies explored the accessibility of self-exclusion information from casinos within a mid-size metropolitan gambling market. In study 1, investigators telephoned casino customer service numbers and asked about self-exclusion. In study 2, trained research assistants visited those same casinos to ask multiple staff for self-exclusion information. In both studies, questions were asked about general information about self-exclusion, the physical and online materials on self-exclusion, and directions to the physical and online self-exclusion materials. Phone requests for self-exclusion information were found to be inconsistent and unreliable. Casino staff approached at casinos were generally unable to provide information about self-exclusion beyond references to the physical location of the materials in the casino. Across both studies, casino employees could not reliably provide information about self-exclusion over the phone or in person, revealing potential barriers for individuals who may be interested in pursuing self-exclusion.

While personalized feedback interventions (PFIs) are a promising indicated prevention strategy for reducing gambling behavior and gambling harm immediately following intervention, no meta-analysis has examined the durability of these reductions. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the effect of PFIs immediately following the intervention and in the months following the intervention. The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed were searched in January 2024 to identify randomized controlled trials comparing PFIs to standard care or inactive control conditions. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool version 2.0 assessed risk of bias. Correlated, hierarchical random effect meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effect of PFIs at postintervention and follow-up. Eighteen studies representing 9,869 participants were identified. PFIs had nonsignificant, small reductions in outcomes relative to comparison conditions at postintervention (g = -0.06, 95% CI [-0.15, 0.02]). However, PFIs produced significant, small reductions in outcomes relative to comparison conditions at follow up (g = -0.10, 95% CI [-0.18, -0.02]). Therapist facilitated PFIs (g = -0.18) had significantly better outcomes than non-therapist facilitated PFIs (g = -0.03), and PFIs incorporating motivational interviewing (g = -0.19) had significantly better outcomes than PFIs not incorporating motivational interviewing (g = -0.02). However, there was limited statistical power to estimate effect sizes at precise time intervals over the follow-up period. The field requires more randomized controlled trials with longitudinal assessments to estimate the effectiveness of PFIs for gambling in the months following receipt of the intervention. PROSPERO (CRD42024567384).

Problem gambling (PrG) can lead to severe personal and interpersonal consequences, yet its most harmful effects often remain unrecognized, especially among individuals who do not seek formal treatment. The current study examined how men and women with past-year PrG recounted stressful life events (SLEs) arising from their gambling experiences. Inductive content analysis was conducted on open-ended responses from 218 U.S. adults who reported gambling-related SLEs in a community-based survey. Eight categories of harm were identified: material loss, living hand to mouth, mental health comorbidity, relationship distress, guilt, victimization, perpetration, and red flag cases involving compounded crises such as suicidality, illness, and legal trouble. These harms were not confined to economically disadvantaged populations. Many participants described severe consequences while identifying themselves as socially or economically privileged. Notably, most participants had never sought treatment, despite explicitly linking their gambling to distressing life events. These findings suggest that gambling-related harm may remain invisible when it does not align with dominant clinical or social risk profiles. We coin the concept of Translucent Voices to describe individuals from relatively privileged social groups whose suffering is often muted, misclassified, or overlooked by conventional care systems. We recommend equitable detection and response to gambling-related adversity through the expansion of public health frameworks aimed at identifying these individuals and intervening before gambling-related stressors escalate into SLEs. Routine screening in commonly accessed service settings, such as financial counseling, primary care, and family health services, may help identify and support these Translucent Voices before harms intensify.