Journal of Gambling Studies最新文献

Background and aims: Japan has a unique gambling environment compared with other countries: pachinko and pachislot dominate the gambling market and are easily accessible. We investigated the clinical characteristics of treatment-seeking Japanese patients with gambling disorder (GD), focusing on factors related to GD severity.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis used data from the Japan Collaborative Clinical Study on Gambling Disorder (JaCCS-G), a multicenter collaborative prospective study evaluating the effectiveness of outpatient treatment for GD. Twenty medical institutions with outpatient gambling clinics participated in this study. Individuals with GD who visited participating facilities and were diagnosed with GD based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, were included. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to assess gambling behavior and psychiatric comorbidities. We administered the Gambling Symptom Assessment Scale to assess gambling symptom severity, the Gambling Related Cognitions Scale to assess irrational thoughts in GD, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (11th version) (BIS-11) to assess impulsivity.

Results: A total of 202 patients with GD participated in the JACCS-G. Pachinko was the most common type of gambling seen in patients with GD, followed by pachislot and horse racing. BIS-11 total score significantly differed among patients with mild, moderate, and severe GD. Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) was associated with GD severity.

Discussion and conclusions: These results reflect the unique gambling environment in Japan, where pachinko is the most accessible and prevalent form of gambling. Assessing GD severity may help identify individuals with heightened impulsivity or ASPD, enabling more targeted interventions and improved treatment strategies. (249 words).

Media play an integral part in the presentation of information surrounding gambling, and thus, it is important to consider the sharing of such details to inform and educate about suggested participation in sports wagering. This study analyzes discourse during ESPN's dedicated sports betting program, ESPN Bet Live (formerly Daily Wager), to produce a typology of responsible mediated gambling language offered by on-air talent and through visual graphics to an active gambling audience. Analysis of 45 episodes aired during the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments between 2021 and 2024 revealed four broad categories- announcer transparency, bet certainty, bookmaking education, and investment terminology- and four distinct types of evidence- X's & O's, traditional statistics, betting statistics, and non-scientific. Announcers rarely communicated specific responsible gambling recommendations but offered justification primarily through analysis of game play and traditional statistics. As media coverage of sports betting hurdles beyond journalistic responsibility of reporting scandals to the integration of gambling information and recommendations, it is incumbent upon sports media to present wagering information in a responsible manner.

Research suggests that Problem Gambling (PG) may result from maladaptive emotional regulation strategies aimed at escaping emotions and stress caused by negative life events and trauma. The current study, aimed to examine the effect of exposure to the mass trauma of October 7, 2023 terror attack and the consequent Swords of Iron war in Israel, and difficulties in emotional regulation on PG. We utilized longitudinal data of self-reports in the Problem Gambling Severity Index collected before the terror attack (April 2022) and during the Swords of Iron war (December 2023, March 2024, June 2024; N = 899) from a large sample of adult Jewish Israelis. Participants also completed the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale before the war (April 2022). Results indicated that for non-problem gamblers, among men, high difficulties in emotion regulation scores were associated with increased PG scores from the time before to the times during the war (bs > 0.53, p-values < 0.003) but not for women or men with low difficulties in emotion regulation scores (bs < 0.36, p-values > 0.167). Among participants at moderate risk for PG and problem gamblers, there was a decrease in PG scores, especially among participants low in difficulties in emotion regulation, beyond gender. Findings highlight the important role of collective traumatic events and difficulties in emotion regulations as predictors of problem gambling. We discuss the study limitations, including the relatively small number of participants at risk for PG and the specificity of the sample, and offer directions for future research.

In this study, a total of 41 experts were interviewed in two phases (2021 and 2023). The interviews were transcribed and examined with advanced machine learning models like k-mean clustering and BERT. The findings revealed five main themes: human-AI collaboration, regulatory changes, AI model development, gaming system and player engagement, and AI ethics and risks. The findings show a shift from the experimental nature of AI in 2021 to emerging patterns of terns personalized player interaction, data-driven decision-making, and predictive analytics. Challenges were detected (e.g., regulatory gaps, algorithmic bias, operational integration, fraud prevention, and responsible gambling), and solutions were provided to address them. This research contributes to understanding AI's transformative role in the hospitality and tourism industry, providing actionable insights for operators, regulators, and researchers navigating the balance between innovation and responsibility.

Reliable tools for assessing gambling symptom severity in gambling disorder (GD) are critical for both research and clinical intervention. The Gambling Symptom Assessment Scale (GSAS) is widely used but lacks validation in Chinese-speaking populations. Our study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of GSAS (C-GSAS) among 186 treatment-seeking GD patients. Internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach's α = 0.93), and exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor model: Cognitive-Preparatory and Emotional-Consequential Factors. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the two-factor structure with satisfactory model fit indices. Concurrent validity was established through significant correlations with the Chinese version of Problem Gambling Severity Index (β = 0.32, p < 0.01) and a Visual Analog Scale for gambling craving (β = 0.67, p < 0.01). The C-GSAS is a reliable and valid measure for assessing gambling severity in patients with GD.

The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) is a popular tool for assessing past-year problems related to gambling. Multiple categorization schemes have been proposed, with scores 3-7 variously interpreted as reflecting a 'moderate' degree of problems. Crucially, it is possible to land in this Moderate-risk category by reporting one or two persistent problems, or up to seven problems that occur more sporadically. Given that DSM-V gambling disorder may occur either persistently or episodically, this confounding of problems' occurrence and their frequency necessitates the development of a method for delineating the PGSI's Moderate-risk category. We propose a variance clustering approach for understanding Moderate-risk cases on the PGSI. Using 3,868 Moderate-risk cases from an existing database of 18,494 Canadian online gamblers, we use K-means clustering to identify distinct subgroups within the variances of collected PGSI surveys. We find that three clusters (which correspond to lower [61.83%], higher [8.85%], and intermediate [29.32%] variance cases) are not equal in size, and are separated at cutoffs equal to 0.40 and 0.81. These clusters differ in terms of the number of PGSI items endorsed, and multiple dimensions of participants' sociodemographic background. These variance boundaries, and the case clusters they separate, are easy to compute and offer useful context that further informs summed survey scores falling in the Moderate-risk category of the PGSI. Additional applications, and avenues for further research are discussed.

Monetary reward processing during gambling is associated with dopaminergic functioning. Emotional reactivity to different gambling stimuli can be indexed by autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses measured by skin conductance responses (SCR) and heart rate (HR). Genetic markers regulating neural dopaminergic activity, such as the D2 dopamine receptor, might confer differential sensitivity to gambling stimuli, which may also be modulated by previous exposure to gambling. To date, no previous studies have explored the relationship between genetic markers of the D2 dopamine receptor, real-life gambling exposure and ANS responses during gambling. Hence, this study explored associations and interactions between DRD2 C957T (rs6277) and ANKK1 Taq1A (rs1800497) genotypes, real-life gambling frequency and autonomic responses during reward anticipation and outcome delivery in a slot machine task producing wins, near-misses and full-misses. Participants (n = 270) performed a computerized slot machine task with recordings of SCRs and HR responses during gambling performance and provided saliva samples for DNA extraction. Taq1A A1 carriers showed increased SCRs and HR responses during reward anticipation and to wins. Greater responsivity during anticipation, as well as to wins and full-misses, was also observed in C957T heterozygotes. Regarding real-life gambling involvement, higher gambling frequency among Taq1A A1 carriers was associated with decreased HR responses during anticipation and to wins. Results suggest that polymorphic variants of the D2 dopamine receptor may confer differential sensitivity to different gambling stimuli which may further be modulated by real-life gambling exposures. However, further studies are needed in well powered samples of gamblers and control subjects.

This study investigated the prevalence and potential factors of problem gambling among adults in New Mexico. The state has a diverse population and a well-established gambling industry. The study used data from a survey of 19,202 adults in 2018 and 2019 and found that problem gambling rates (3.1-3.9%) were significantly higher than the national average. The study revealed significant differences in problem gambling prevalence based on sociodemographic factors, with higher rates among males, younger adults, and racial/ethnic minorities, particularly Native American/American Indian respondents. Substance use behaviors and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) showed strong associations with problem gambling. Logistic regression analyses showed that being male, identifying as Latinx or Native American/American Indian, having lower educational attainment, experiencing housing instability, engaging in substance use, and reporting multiple ACEs significantly increased the odds of problem gambling. A risk score index indicated that the likelihood of problem gambling increased considerably with the accumulation of risk factors. These findings highlight the complex and multifaceted nature of problem gambling in New Mexico, underscoring the need for culturally sensitive interventions. The study offers valuable insights for policymakers, healthcare providers, and community organizations to develop evidence-based strategies to address problem gambling in this specific demographic context.

Gambling Disorder (GD), diagnostically, is a unidimensional construct where each additional symptom corresponds to increased severity. Many individuals experience addiction symptoms in specific symptom clusters, with membership to one profile of symptoms or other better representing disorder severity than raw symptom counts. This study explored whether similarly informative symptom clusters exist among adults seeking treatment for gambling harms. The sample included 440 adults seeking treatment for gambling disorder who completed an assessment of diagnostic criteria at intake. Three distinct classes were identified through a latent class analysis of GD criteria: Escape and Chasing, Preoccupation and Distress, and All symptoms. The All-symptoms class showed the highest elevation of cognitive distortions but shared similar levels of self-efficacy with the Preoccupation and Distress class. The Escape and Chasing class was found to exhibit the highest level of gambling-related self-efficacy and shared similar levels of cognitive distortions with the Preoccupation and Distress class. Significant differences were found in the demographic variables of having children under the age of 18 and employment status. Results show symptom profiles that run counter to the DSM-5's conceptualization of GD and indicate heterogeneity of individuals seeking treatment from gambling harms. Future areas of research are discussed.

Numerous studies report sex differences in the prevalence of problem gambling (PG), but the etiological basis of these differences across recognized risk factors is unclear. Data from a large, nationally-stratified Canadian survey (n = 10,044) were used to explore whether sex moderates relationships between PG and its risk factors, including (1) gambling participation, (2) gambling motivations, (3) mental health, and (4) substance use. The sample was 53.6% female, had a mean age of 52.4 years (SD = 15.4), and 61.8% had Northern/Western European heritage. The magnitude of the relationship between sixteen (44%) study variables and PG varied between sexes, though these effects were generally small. These variables include: (1) past month participation in lotteries, electronic gambling machines, sports betting, bingo, and financial speculation; (2) all measures of gambling intensity (breadth, frequency, expenditure); (3) enhancement and coping motivations for gambling; and (4) five additional substance use and mental health variables. With the exception of past month bingo participation, posttraumatic stress disorder, history of substance-related problems, negative life events, and impulsivity, these effects were larger for females relative to males. Finally, multivariate analyses revealed notable differences in the risk factors for PG, with variation in male PG being uniquely explained by gambling to develop skill, substance use disorder, negative life events, and age, and variation in female PG being uniquely explained by online gambling, breadth of gambling involvement, and coping motives. These findings highlight potential sex-specific pathways to PG that should be the subject of future research.