Expansion Of Gambling Research Articles

Brief Report: The Rise of Online Betting in Ontario

In this paper we examine the nature of calls for the Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline from June 2021 to Jan 2023 to determine if the increased marketing of online and sports gambling has changed the nature of calls to the helpline. An interrupted time series model comparing the monthly calls before and after the expansion of online gambling and advertising (April 2023), found a significant effect. Calls related to the other games examined did not have a significant interrupted time series effect of from the expansion and advertising of online gambling. The results of this analysis clearly indicate an association between the expansion of legalized gambling and gambling advertising with the number of people who call the helpline for problem related to online gambling.

Making Markets out of Vice: Gambling, Cannabis, and Processes of State Legitimation and Formation in Canada

The legalization of gambling and cannabis and the transformation of these practices/substances into consumer markets are processes of state legitimation, naturalization, and (re)formation in Canada. This article examines the moral-cultural transformation of gambling and cannabis over the last 50 years and analyzes these transformations in terms of state-culture dynamics. Where lotteries were legalized in the context of the welfare state, the expansion of gambling beyond lotteries in the 1990s has occurred as the federal state ceded jurisdiction of gambling to the provinces. The consequence has been the direct role of the provinces in the creation of gambling markets. Notwithstanding the monopolization of cannabis by some provinces, the opening of cannabis to private industry (e.g., sales) has occurred relatively quickly. In its central role in market making, the state, paradoxically, appears to disappear. However, the legalization and expansion of gambling and cannabis represent an increased positioning of the state at the nexus of civic and consumer cultures. State formation around consumption of gambling and cannabis centers on state entrepreneurialism and depends on retaining, yet reinventing, notions of harm with a shift from a generalized morality of nation and national spirit to individual risk calculation.

Social norms and goal-setting interventions to promote responsible gambling in low-to-moderate online gamblers: protocol for a four-arm randomised controlled feasibility study

IntroductionGambling is increasingly recognised as an important public health issue. Problem gambling is associated with highly negative impacts on physical, psychological and social well-being, not only for those who gamble...

Local Opt-Out Provisions in a State Gambling Expansion: An Analysis of Pennsylvania Municipalities

A 2017 gambling expansion bill in Pennsylvania included a provision that gave municipalities the option to ban a new casino from opening within their borders. This paper examined how different factors influenced local decisions on whether to allow casino gambling. Multilevel linear probability models indicated that municipalities were influenced by economic characteristics, as evidenced by a higher likelihood of allowing casinos in communities with lower levels of household income. Results also suggested that municipalities were influenced by variables related to tax competition and the percentage of residents who were black. The findings of this study identify factors that may influence municipal governments when given the authority to opt out of a state gambling expansion capable of generating a new source of local tax revenue.

The Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling

The Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling

Who uses custom sports betting products?

Background The expansion of online gambling in the UK has been accompanied by an increase in the number of novel betting products, particularly for soccer. The present research investigates which types of sports bettors are the most likely to use novel gambling products called ‘custom sports bets’ (CSBs), which allow gamblers to create their own unique bets. Method A large-scale, cross-sectional survey of online sports/horse racing bettors (n = 789, 32.7% female). The survey collected two measures of CSB usage and four validated gambling measures: the Problem Gambling Severity Index, the Gambling Related Cognition Illusion of Control Scale, the Short Gambling Harm Screen, and the Consumption Screen for Problem Gambling. Results Overall, 62.0% of participants reported having used a CSB, and those who had used a CSB did so on an average of 29.4 days over the last year. Overall, 16.0% of participants who had used a CSB were current problem gamblers, compared to 6.7% among those who had not. CSB users reported an average of 2.3 out of 10 possible gambling harms, compared to 1.5 harms for those who had not used a CSB. The illusion of control scale was significantly positively correlated with whether participants had ever used a CSB before, but not with past-year frequency of CSB usage. The usage of CSB products was most strongly associated with the frequency of gambling consumption. Conclusions Overall, these findings suggest that CSB products raise distinctive concerns around consumer protection for frequent sports bettors which deserve further investigation.

Gambling involvement and problem gambling correlates among European adolescents: results from the European Network for Addictive Behavior study.

Worldwide, concern has grown over the expansion of gambling among adolescents, who have an increased likelihood of developing risk-taking behaviors. This study aimed to increase knowledge of problem gambling among adolescents in seven European countries and to assess the effect of demographic and lifestyle factors recorded in the European Network for Addictive Behavior survey (https://www.eunetadb.eu). A cross-sectional school-based study (n = 13,284) was conducted in Germany, Greece, Iceland, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain. Anonymous self-completed questionnaires included socio-demographic data, internet usage characteristics, school achievement, parental control, the Internet Addiction Test, the South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised for Adolescents Test and Achenbach's Youth Self-Report. 12.5% of the participants reported last year gambling activities either online or offline. 3.6% of the study participants and 28.1% of gamblers (either online or offline) were at risk or had a gambling problem. The study results showed that a higher proportion of adolescents was either at risk or had a gambling problem among males, in the older age group, when the parental educational level was lower/middle, and in the absence of siblings. Furthermore, being at risk or having a gambling problem was associated with lower age at first use of the internet, lower school grades, using the internet 6-7days per week, and problematic internet use. At risk or problem gamblers had higher scores on all scales of problem behavior and lower scores (lower competence) on activities and academic performance. Our findings underline the need for better gambling legislation and suggest the importance of developing social responsibility tools that may help diminish adolescent gambling involvement, with special attention to males.

Television gambling advertisements: Extent and content of gambling advertisements with a focus on potential high-risk commercial messages

BackgroundIn problem gambling, recent years have seen an expansion of online gambling in treatment-seeking patients. Television advertising may promote risky gambling, and this study aimed to assess gambling-related advertisements, with respect to potentially risky messages, in a country with high rates of online gambling among treatment seekers, for online casino particularly in treatment-seeking women. MethodsA total of 144 h in six commercial television channels were studied with respect to frequency, extent and content of gambling-related advertisements, which were analyzed with respect to potentially risky messages and specific target groups, and compared with respect to legal status of gambling companies and for online casino gambling vs other gambling types. Aspects to analyze were elected theoretically and based on acceptable inter-rater agreement between the authors. ResultsNineteen percent (11–28% across different channels) of advertisements promoted gambling, with online casino being by far the most common type of gambling exposed. Messages promoting ease to gamble (including bonuses and rapid cash-out messages) and a female focus were significantly more common in online casino gambling and in non-licensed companies, whereas sports-related messages were more common in licensed companies. Gambling-related advertisements were also common in relation to family movies, and appeared even during children's programs. ConclusionsOnline casino was by far the most common type of televised gambling advertisements. Several risky messages were identified, and female gender, as well as messages promoting the rapidity and facility of gambling, were more commonly addressed by online casino companies. Public health aspects are discussed.

An empirical review of gambling expansion and gambling-related harm

Abstract. Aims: To discuss and review the latest research related to gambling expansion. Method: We completed a literature review and empirical comparison of peer reviewed findings related to gambling expansion and subsequent gambling-related changes among the population. Results: Although gambling expansion is associated with changes in gambling and gambling-related problems, empirical studies suggest that these effects are mixed and the available literature is limited. For example, the peer review literature suggests that most post-expansion gambling outcomes (i. e., 22 of 34 possible expansion outcomes; 64.7 %) indicate no observable change or a decrease in gambling outcomes, and a minority (i. e., 12 of 34 possible expansion outcomes; 35.3 %) indicate an increase in gambling outcomes. Conclusions: Empirical data related to gambling expansion suggests that its effects are more complex than frequently considered; however, evidence-based intervention might help prepare jurisdictions to deal with potential consequences. Jurisdictions can develop and evaluate responsible gambling programs to try to mitigate the impacts of expanded gambling.

Regional impacts of casino availability on gambling problems: Evidence from the Canadian Community Health Survey

Casinos are generally recognized as significant generators of economic impact and tourism, but access is typically controlled in a perceived effort to reduce social harms, particularly those from gambling disorders. Using data from a representative sample of 50,048 Canadians across four provinces, this study empirically tests theory of the regional impacts of casino availability on participation in gambling and the development of gambling related problems. Increased exposure to casinos is found to be related to increases in both participation and problem gambling risk, despite the observation that all four provinces recently experienced casino expansion and population-wide declines in problem gambling prevalence rates. The estimates are robust to broad controls for health and demographic risk factors. The findings suggest that hospitality/tourism planners should consider wider expansion of gambling paired with increased investment in responsible and problem gambling programs, to maximize economic impacts while accelerating social adaptation to gambling related harms.

Already at the Table: Patterns of Play and Gambling Involvement Prior to Gambling Expansion.

During 2011, the Governor of Massachusetts signed a bill to allow casino gambling in the state (Commonwealth of Massachusetts 2011). As a result, two resort casinos will begin operations during 2018 and 2019; a smaller slots parlor began operations during June 2015. Prior to this expansion, gambling was widely available in Massachusetts, through the state lottery, off-track betting, and gambling opportunities available in neighboring states. Within this context, it is important to understand the patterns of gambling involvement in the population prior to gambling expansion. The current study examined gambling involvement, patterns of play, and gambling-related problems prior to gambling expansion among a sample of 511 Massachusetts residents who were members of a statewide Internet panel. To measure patterns of play, we asked questions about past-year games played and frequency of play. To measure breadth of involvement, we assessed the number of different games played. To measure depth of involvement, we measured time spent gambling, amount wagered, and amount won or lost. Principal component analysis revealed four play pattern components accounting for more than 50% of the variance in game play frequency. Multiple regression analyses revealed that component scores composed of casino gambling and skill-based gambling (e.g., poker, sports) variables uniquely contributed to the prediction of gambling-related problems, even when depth of involvement was controlled. However, the addition of breadth of involvement to the model resulted in a model where no set of variables contributed significantly, suggesting a complex relationship among play patterns, depth, and breadth of involvement. The study established discrete and distinguishable gambling play patterns associated with gambling-related problems and identified groups of individuals potentially vulnerable to the effects of gambling expansion.

The impact of legalized casino gambling on crime

The expansion of casino gambling has been controversial, with the economic and crime impacts heavily debated. Yet, few studies have considered the impact casinos have beyond the border of their host community or state. Using county-level data between 1994 and 2012, this paper examines the impact that casino legalization had on crime rates using a Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) to account for spatial dependence. A difference-in-differences model suggests that in the long term commercial casinos are associated with no significant change in crime in their host county, but crimes in surrounding adjacent counties do significantly increase. Indian casinos in contrast are associated with long-term reductions in crime in their surrounding counties. However, a distributed lag model, used to detect year-to-year variation in crime, reveals that both commercial and Indian casinos are associated with increases in crime in the years immediately following their opening. For commercial casinos these increases were statistically significant in the host county for six years, whereas for Indian casinos a statistically significant increase occurred in the first two years after opening. Impacts on surrounding adjacent counties were also significant but generally for fewer years. These initial increases in crime were offset by significant decreases in crime many years later explaining the long-term pattern captured in the difference-in-differences model.

온라인베팅 확대허용 및 불법 온라인베팅 축소방안에 관한 인식 차이: 이용자, 중독자 및 일반인의 인식 비교

온라인베팅은 누구나 언제 어디서나 접속이 가능하며 ICT기술의 발전에 따라 베팅의 편리성과 다양한 기회로 국내 불법 도박규모는 합법 사행산업의 4배 이상에 달하며, 불법 온라인베팅 시장 또한 가파르게 커지고 있다. 이에, 국내에서 운영되고 있는 체육진흥투표권과 전자복권 외에 다른 유형의 온라인베팅도 확대허용하고 관리해야 할 필요성이 제기되고 있다. 본 연구는 온라인베팅 확대허용에 대한 인식, 온라인베팅 확대허용 시 운영방안과 불법 온라인베팅 축소방안에 대한 인식을 온라인베팅 이용자, 중독자 및 일반인 대상으로 파악하였다. 분석결과, 온라인베팅 확대허용에 대한 긍정적 부정적 인식에 집단별 유의한 차이가 있는 것으로 검증되었으며, 합법 온라인베팅 종목으로 경주류 베팅 확대허용 시 운영방안에 대한 인식 차이도 의미 있는 차이를 보였다. 이를 통해 온라인베팅 확대허용으로 양성화하게 되면 불법 온라인베팅 이용자가 합법 온라인베팅 이용자로 전환하게 될 가능성과 건전하게 이용할 수 있는 가능성이 있다는 것이 확인된 만큼 온라인베팅 확대허용의 긍정적 효과를 기대할 수 있을 것이다. Since online betting occurs on online where anybody can access through internet, thus, the online gambling market has been expanding. Domestic illegal gambling market size is 4 times bigger than that of legal gambling market, and illegal online betting market is rapidly growing as well. Currently online gambling does exist domestically in form of Sports promotion voting rights, also known as, Toto and Proto and internet lottery. However, the need for other types of online gambling to be permitted, expanded and managed has been suggested. This research has analyzed online gambling users, online gambling addicts and general population's awareness on expansion and operation of online gambling, contraction measures of illegal online gambling and operation measures in case of permitted expansion of online gambling. The result of this research's analysis showed that each group has significantly different awareness level on positive and negative effects of permitting online gambling's expansion. Also, it showed that each group has significantly different awareness on permitting expansion of racing betting as a legal gambling item. Since it is the proven fact that illegal online gambling users could turn into legal users and that users could use the service more positively if online gambling is legalized through allowance and expansion process; one could expect the positive effects from permitting expansion of online gambling.

Analysis of EGM licensing decisions by the gambling regulator, Victoria, Australia

Gambling expansion is commonly justified in public discourse by claims of community benefit, increased employment and capital investment. Compared to other jurisdictions, the Electronic Gambling Machine (EGM) license process in Victoria, Australia, is relatively transparent and amenable to analysis. This article describes research that assessed factors relevant to EGM license decisions made by Victoria’s gambling regulator between 2007 and 2014. During the period under review, the regulator granted 144 of 154 applications, finding that approving these applications would not be detrimental to relevant communities. Most commonly cited factors supporting approvals were commitments to undertake capital works, contribute to community purposes and increase employment. The regulator overwhelmingly agreed that supportive factors would balance harms, such as problem gambling, high levels of expenditure or socio-economic disadvantage. This research demonstrates the difficulty of balancing apparently quantifiable benefits against less readily measurable gambling-related harms in regulatory decision-making. The study found that harms were poorly conceived and understood inadequately and supportive factors frequently overstated. This process may lead to unnecessarily high levels of community harm, contradicting the purposes of the relevant legislation. The article suggests that better, more consistently applied principles are required to ensure the more rigorous scrutiny of supportive factors and improved understanding of gambling harms.

An Evaluation of Substance Abuse, Mental Health Disorders, and Gambling Correlations: an Opportunity for Early Public Health Interventions

This study uniquely evaluates the prevalence of recreational gambling, and co-occurring conditions prior to gambling expansion in Massachusetts (MA), and assesses associations between gambling and co-occurring behavioral, and mental health disorders. Data are derived from the 2008 MA Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Logistic regression models to obtain multivariate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for factors associated with gambling are performed. Prevalence of recreational gambling in MA is 40.2 % (95 % CI 38.2–42.1). Gamblers are more likely to be obese (OR 1.3, 95%CI 1.0–1.7; p < 0.05), smoke heavily (OR 2.2, 95%CI 1.1–4.6; p < 0.05), use alcohol (OR 1.3, 95%CI 1.0–1.6; p < 0.05), and prescription drugs (OR 1.3, 95%CI 1.1–1.6; p < 0.05). Gamblers are also more likely to self-report their health status as good compared to excellent (OR 1.3, 95%CI 1.0–1.7; p < 0.05), and to have 14 or less days of poor mental health (OR 1.4; 95%CI 1.1–1.9; p < 0.01). Recreational gambling is significantly associated with obesity, alcohol consumption, heavy smoking, prescription drug use, and poor mental health. Early public health interventions before gambling expansion are of critical importance.

Consumer spending in the gaming industry: evidence of complementary demand in casino and online venues

Brick and mortar gambling stakeholders have scrutinized Internet gambling sites over concern that online operators may serve as substitutes for their products. In some cases, this has led to regulatory protection to prevent or restrict entry by online providers. However, many industry observers have remarked that the two gambling modalities may serve different consumers/consumer needs, or even serve as complementary goods. Policymakers, who look to gambling as an important source of tax revenue, must determine how expansion of Internet gambling will affect overall economic welfare. Using self-reported consumer gambling behaviour data from the United Kingdom, the net effect of Internet-based gambling activity on land-based demand is estimated in this study. A robust complementary (positive) relationship between online and offline gambling is found, using ordinary least squares, two-stage least squares, and two-part modeling techniques. These particular findings suggest that economic concerns around the cannibalization of traditional gambling industries should be reconsidered, and provide support for prior research showing that Internet based firms can be complementary to brick and mortar businesses.

A Tap on the Shoulder: The Disciplinary Techniques and Logics of Anti-Pokie Apps

A Tap on the Shoulder: The Disciplinary Techniques and Logics of Anti-Pokie Apps

Chopsticks and Gambling

The Chinese are known throughout the world as avid gamblers with a long history of participation in games of chance. Historians have documented wagering on such games as far back as the early Chinese dynasties. Despite measures by ancient Chinese rulers to contain gambling, it proliferated, and Chinese games have evolved and multiplied since then. Desmond Lam provides a unique look into the little-known world of Chinese gambling from historical, cultural, psychological, and social perspectives.Chinese gamblers regularly patronize casinos in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The recent expansion of gambling in East Asia has attracted much global media attention. Macau, the only place in China where casino gambling is now legal, easily surpasses Las Vegas as the world's largest casino gaming market. Each year, Chinese from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan account for almost 90 percent of visitors to Macau.The expansion of the Chinese gambling industry has brought about much harm to Chinese communities, despite all of the development it has also stimulated. This book is the first to examine the beliefs, motivations, attitudes, and behaviors of Chinese gamblers, and will be of interest to students of history and sociology, as well as those studying the history and culture of China.

Afterword: Manufacturing Gambling

AbstractIn this afterword I outline the expansion and reclassification of gambling which has been taking place over the past 30 years. Expansion has coincided with the emergence of gambling studies, which concentrates on identifying and counting pathological subjects as ‘problem gamblers’. This focus on individual consumption deflects attention from broader structural questions including the redistributive effects of gambling expenditure and taxation. Ethnographic descriptions of gambling including those contained in this edition have the potential to disrupt the field of gambling studies. Firstly, by introducing a focus on relationships rather than individuals, and secondly by showing that gambling reflects diverse ideas about luck, uncertainty, wealth and personhood.

The Relationship between Legal Gambling and Crime in Alberta

One of the main justifications used for the expansion of legal gambling is that gambling provides increased revenue to governments and community groups. However, critics argue that the social costs of legal gambling offset these benefits. One particularly controversial social cost of gambling is the impact that gambling has on crime. The academic literature is split with as many studies showing an increase in crime due to gambling as those that show no impact. The current study investigated how increased legal gambling availability has affected crime in Alberta. Four sources of data were examined: self-reports of gambling-related crime among problem gamblers in population surveys; gambling-related crime in police incident reports; uniform crime statistics from Statistics Canada; and criminal offences as recorded by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC). The most unambiguous findings of this study are that gambling-related crime constitutes a very small percentage of all crime; crime that is gambling related tends to be non-violent property crime; and increased legal gambling availability has significantly decreased rates of illegal gambling. In terms of the impact of legalized gambling on overall crime in Alberta, the evidence would suggest that legalized gambling likely has a minor or negligible impact.