Journal of Gambling Studies最新文献

To minimize the harms associated with gambling, an array of responsible gambling (RG) messages has been developed to raise awareness of the risks of problem gambling and encourage safer gambling behaviors. However, evidence is limited as to the utility of RG messages to promote positive gambling-related beliefs and behaviors. In the current paper, we report the results of a Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) of empirical research on RG messages. We identified 3200 unique articles published between 1890 and September 2024 using search terms related to RG messaging. Eighteen articles (containing 20 unique studies) met our inclusion criteria. Two general themes emerged: 1) RG message preferences among players and 2) RG message effectiveness. Specifically, players prefer self-appraisal messages, which were more effective in promoting RG behaviors compared to informative messages. Messages content also needs to be segmented (i.e., low-risk players prefer different types of messages than high risk players, such as highlighting player quizzes for low-risk players and helplines for high-risk players). Lastly, RG messages should be presented dynamically (e.g., pop-ups on an Electronic Gaming Machine: EGM). Results suggest a need for the gambling industry to adopt targeted, evidence-based RG messaging, as well as a need to engage in integrated knowledge mobilization, to more effectively promote RG. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring RG messages to player risk levels and preferences while leveraging dynamic delivery methods to maximize their effectiveness in promoting safer gambling behaviors and reducing harm.

Rates of gambling disorder (GD) have been found to be higher among people receiving disability benefit, but few studies have investigated whether receiving disability benefit prospectively actually increases the risk of GD. The present study investigated whether those with a disability benefit had an increased risk of developing GD using a case-control design. The study sample was retrieved from the Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR, N = 5,131) and consisted of all adults in Norway (18 years and older) who had received a GD diagnosis (F63.0 according to ICD-10) between 2008 and 2018. The study group was age and sex matched with a random sample from the (1) general population (FD-trygd, n = 30,164), and (2) and individuals with other somatic or psychiatric illnesses (NPR, n = 30,476). The results of logistic regression analysis showed that people receiving disability benefit had higher odds of later being diagnosed with GD compared to the general population (odds ratio [OR] = 2.27, 95% CI [2.02, 2.54]), and compared to individuals in the NPR (OR = 2.13, 95% CI [1.90, 2.38]). Recipients of disability benefit constitute a group who is vulnerable in terms of developing GD. Although the present study found evidence for a prospective association, causality could not be established. The study identified a cohort that may benefit from targeted prevention and intervention strategies regarding gambling behavior.

This study examines the relationship between daily encounters with gambling facilities and gambling participation in a Czech region that transformed from having one of the world's highest gambling facility densities to implementing strict regulations. Using a sample of 2,447 respondents from 277 municipalities, the research analyses how daily encounters with gambling facilities, rather than mere facility presence, influence gambling behaviour. The study incorporates individuals' accessibility based on daily encounters within their living space, moving beyond conventional metrics of availability. Results show that the extent of encounters during daily routines is a stronger predictor of gambling participation than facility presence alone, with the most pronounced effects observed in casinos and gaming halls. Municipalities with comprehensive gambling offerings showed the highest proportion of at-risk and problem gamblers. These findings emphasise the importance of considering population mobility in gambling accessibility analyses and suggest implications for local regulatory policies.

This paper examines how proximity to sports betting shops affects local crime patterns in Ghana, providing evidence from a developing country context where limited financial buffers may amplify gambling's environmental effects. Using geo-referenced data on licensed betting operators and Afrobarometer survey responses, the study finds that doubling the distance from betting shops reduces crime probability by 3 percentage points. This effect is particularly pronounced for property crimes, with a 5.5 percentage point reduction in burglary risk, while showing no significant impact on violent crimes. Employing distance to regional capitals as an instrumental variable addresses potential endogeneity in betting shop locations, revealing even larger effects in IV specifications. Community cohesion plays a complex moderating role-while areas with stronger social ties generally report more crime, potentially due to better monitoring, the crime-reducing effect of distance from betting shops is amplified in these high-cohesion communities. The results highlight how institutional context shapes the relationship between gambling access and criminal behavior, supporting theories of routine activities and social disorganization rather than strain theory. These findings have important implications for regulatory policy in developing economies, particularly regarding spatial planning and community-based approaches to crime prevention near gambling establishments.

In comparison to other motives for gambling, social motives (e.g., gambling for social interaction) are often suggested to be the least problematic and, in some cases, even a protective factor for problem gambling. This view is consistent with historical distinctions between 'social' versus 'problem' gambling. As a result, little research has attempted to identify the circumstances in which social motives are more likely to be associated with risk of problems. Consistent with self-determination theory, the present study examined whether the relationship between social motives and problem gambling varies based on social deficits, such as loneliness and a lack of social connectedness, in a weighted, census matched sample of adults in the U.S. (N = 2,835). Findings demonstrate support for the moderating influence of social deficits (i.e., loneliness and relatedness frustration) on the relationship between social gambling motives and problem gambling and provide unique insights into the circumstances in which social motives are more likely associated with gambling problems.

Problematic online gambling has emerged as a growing behavioral health concern, fueled by the accessibility, anonymity, and immediacy of digital gambling environments. This two-phase study aimed to adapt the "Online Problem Gambling Behavior Index (OPGBI)" for Turkish-speaking populations and to examine the affective mechanisms underlying problematic gambling behavior through the lens of the Emotion Dysregulation Model. In Study-I (N = 674; 62.6% male; M_age = 35.23), confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor structure: gambling behavior, limit-setting, and communication with operators, demonstrating strong internal consistency, good model fit, and gender-based measurement invariance. In Study-II (N = 813; 65% male; M_age = 34.76), structural equation modeling tested a mediation model in which emotional reactivity predicted problematic gambling behavior both directly and indirectly via psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress). Results demonstrated robust direct effects of emotional reactivity across all OPGBI dimensions, with stress emerging as the most consistent mediator. Bootstrapped analyses confirmed the significance of indirect pathways. Collectively, the findings validate the Turkish version of the OPGBI as a psychometrically sound, culturally responsive instrument and underscore the central role of emotional vulnerability in the development of online gambling problems.

Participation in online gambling is growing and the risk of experiencing harms is also increasing. Brief personalised feedback interventions have been shown to prevent, reduce and address gambling harm and this randomised controlled trial tested the effectiveness of a version customised for the UK. A sample of 1586 online gambling participants with moderate or problem gambling were rapidly recruited from an existing Internet panel of UK residents. Participants were randomised to a no intervention control group or received the self-directed, online intervention which included normative feedback and personalised information explaining the consequences of gambling above lower-risk guidelines. One- and three-month follow-ups assessed the short-term impact on frequency and harm. Feedback and recommendations were collected to guide improvements and increase future utility. All gambling outcomes showed improvement between the initial survey and both follow-ups, however, there were no differences between the intervention and control groups. Most participants displayed normative misperceptions when estimating how much others the same age and gender gambled. The majority of the sample had never previously sought treatment despite over a third of these reporting moderate or problematic levels of gambling. There is need for a publicly available, low-cost alternative to traditional treatment in order to help the large proportion of people with gambling concerns who would not otherwise seek formal support. Although an intervention effect was not detected in this sample, Internet-based alternatives remain a promising opportunity meriting further research.

The Prevention and Etiology of Gambling Addiction Study in the U.S. (PEGASUS) was a prospective cohort study, conducted in Maryland from 2015 to 2022, that sought to measure the comorbidities and impact of gambling behavior. In-person and telephone study visits collected data about gambling history, chronic health conditions, mental health, and substance use. The study used the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) to categorize participants as having or not having a history of probable pathological gambling (PPG). The analysis included data from 1,195 participants who were each followed for up to four years. The study intentionally over-sampled gamblers, resulting in a sample in which 34.2% of participants met the study criteria for lifetime history of PPG. Of the 22 chronic health conditions with sufficient numbers for analysis, 17 showed statistically significant relationships with PPG, with mental health disorders standing out as having particularly strong associations. Alcohol and drug use problems, along with smoking, were also significantly more common among participants with PPG compared to those without PPG. The physical health conditions that showed the strongest associations with PPG were restless leg syndrome, high blood pressure, seizures and epilepsy, and stroke. This analysis demonstrated which physical health, mental health, and substance use characteristics were most commonly comorbid with Gambling Disorder, which may inform public health policymakers and healthcare professionals as they target screenings for and interventions against problematic gambling.

Most epidemiological surveys focus on adult gambling behaviors related to traditional gambling forms, while studies on novel forms often focus on loot boxes and cryptocurrency trading individually. This study examines the co-ocurrence of emergent gambling and gambling-like practices, analyzing the demographic and psychological characteristics of involved gamblers. A cross-sectional study surveyed 1429 Spanish individuals aged 18-65, using a web-based questionnaire. The survey assessed participation in 19 gambling (e.g., lotteries, sports betting) and gambling-like activities (e.g., trading of cryptocurrencies and other assets, buying loot-boxes), along with sociodemographic and substance use. Problem gambling (PGSI), Impulsivity (UPPS-P), and cognitive distortions (Labrador's cognitive distortions scale) were also assessed. Participants who gambled over the past year (n = 921) were classified into four groups: traditional gambling (TG) only (64.5%, n = 594), TG with trading activities (27.5%, n = 253), TG with gambling withing video games or streaming platforms (2.5%, n = 23), and TG with both trading and video gambling (5.5%, n = 51). Most gamblers engaged exclusively in traditional formats, but 35.5% also participated in novel gambling forms. Those involved in both trading and video gambling were generally younger, male, with higher levels of impulsivity and gambling-related cognitive distortions compared to TG-only gamblers (p < 0.001). This group also exhibited higher rates of problem gambling and substance use (p < 0.001). This study emphasize the importance of including emerging gambling activities, which are particularly prevalent among high-risk gamblers, in epidemiological surveys. Identifying new gambling patterns and associated risk factors could help optimize public policies and develop more effective regulatory and prevention strategies.

Although previous research has identified psychiatric symptoms and dissociation as important factors in problem gambling, the role of gambling motives in these relationships has received scant attention. According to the literature, the theoretically "riskier" motives (coping and enhancement) are associated with problem gambling. The present study examined the mediating role of gambling motives between psychiatric symptoms, dissociative experiences, and problem gambling severity. A total of 688 participants (57.8% male, M_age = 40.8 years, SD = 13.8) completed the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II), Gambling Motives Questionnaire (GMQ), and Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). The overall model had a good fit to the data. The results indicated that psychiatric symptoms had a significant direct effect and a significant indirect (mediating) effect on problem gambling severity via the coping motive, while dissociation only showed a significant indirect effect via the coping motive. The structural equation modeling showed that psychiatric symptoms, both directly and indirectly (via coping motives), influenced problem gambling severity, but dissociation did so indirectly only via coping motives. These results suggest that dissociation amplifies vulnerability to escape-style gambling, a concept in which an individual tries to regulate either negative mood states or psychological arousal by gambling. Awareness of dissociative tendencies and targeted interventions may help reduce gambling-related harms.