Online Casino Games Research Articles

Colliding harms of gambling and gaming: A four-wave longitudinal population study of at-risk gambling and gaming in Finland.

Aims: Both gambling and digital gaming are growing in popularity and there is ongoing discussion about their convergence. This population-based longitudinal survey study investigated how gambling and digital gaming types contribute to at-risk gambling and gaming. Methods: The study was based on a representative sample of 18-75-year-olds from mainland Finland. Survey data were collected at 6-month intervals in 2021-2022, starting in April 2021. Of original T1 respondents, 58.95% took part in all four time points. In total, 3,608 observations from 902 individuals were analysed. Outcome measures were at-risk gambling and gaming based on the Problem Gambling Severity Index and the Internet Gaming Disorder Test. Various types of gambling and gaming were investigated. Results: Population-averaged models showed that different forms of gambling were associated with a higher risk of at-risk gaming. Online casino games were associated with the highest likelihood of at-risk gambling and gaming. Prevalence of digital gaming problems was low. Hybrid models were used to investigate the longitudinal within-person and between-person effects of gambling and gaming activities. Online casino games and offline slot machines increased at-risk gambling. Microtransactions within digital games increased at-risk gambling and gaming over time, but the amount of money spent on digital gaming was small compared to gambling. Conclusions: Our results underline the risks of EGMs and online gambling for the participants. Although gambling and gaming are converging, harm is mostly based on gambling.

Concentration of gambling spending by product type: analysis of gambling accounts records in Norway

Background Most previous studies on the distribution of gambling losses were based on self-reported data. In this study, we employed tracking data (i.e. electronic betting records) to examine the concentration of gambling losses and whether concentration varies by product type. Method Tracking data were provided by the Norwegian gambling monopolist, Norsk Tipping (NT). Data comprised of 14 different games for a random draw of 2% (N = 39 995) of all NT’s customers in 2019. We applied three measures of concentration of gambling losses: the mean to median ratio, the Gini coefficient, and the proportion of total losses accounted for by the upper 1%, 5% or 10% of those who gamble. Results Across the 14 games, the mean/median ratio was 2.22, ranging from 1.37 to 17.48 for the different games, whereas the overall Gini coefficient was 0.65, ranging from 0.55 to 0.90. The upper 1%, 5% and 10% of those who gamble accounted for 17.9% (range = 5.6 − 3 8.3%), 39.5% (range = 23.6 − 74.3%), and 52.2% (range = 37.9 − 86.9%) of the losses, respectively. High concentration of losses was especially pronounced for one type of lottery (Keno), two online casino games (KongKasino and Bingoria), and for two sports betting games (Oddsen and Tipping). These findings were consistent across measures. Conclusion Overall, the results lend strong support to the notion that a disproportionately large fraction of gambling losses are accounted for by a relatively small minority of people and that concentration of losses varies by product type.

A speed-of-play limit reduces gambling expenditure in an online roulette game: Results of an online experiment

UK online casino games are presently not subject to any limitations on speed-of-play or stakes. One recent policy proposal is to ensure that no online casino game can be played faster than its in-person equivalent. Another policy proposal is to limit the maximum stakes on online casino games to £2, to match the current stake limit on electronic gambling machines. This research experimentally investigated the speed-of-play proposal subject to a £2 stake limit, in an online experiment using incentivized payouts based on £4 endowments and a commercial online roulette game, which was slowed-down in one condition to enforce a speed-of-play limit of one spin every 60 seconds. UK residents, aged 18 years and over and with experience in playing online roulette (N = 1,002), were recruited from an online crowdsourcing panel. In the slowed-down condition there was a credible reduction in the amount gambled. This effect occurred via a credible reduction in the mean number of spins which outweighed any potential increases in bet sizes. Speed-of-play limits may be effective in reducing gambling expenditure for online roulette.

Quantization of blackjack: Quantum basic strategy and advantage

Abstract Quantum computers that process information by harnessing the remarkable power of quantum mechanics are increasingly being put to practical use. In the future, their impact will be felt in numerous fields, including in online casino games. This is one of the reasons why quantum gambling theory has garnered considerable attention. Studies have shown that quantum gambling theory often yields nontrivial consequences that classical theory cannot interpret. We have formulated blackjack, one of the most famous card games, as a quantum game and found possible quantum entanglement between strategies. We also devised a quantum circuit reproducing classical blackjack. This circuit can be realized in the near future when quantum computers are commonplace. Furthermore, we showed that the player’s expectation increases compared to the classical game using quantum basic strategy, which is a quantum version of the popular basic strategy of blackjack.

Gambler clusters and problem gambling severity: A cluster analysis of Swedish gamblers accessing an online problem gambling screener.

It has been proposed that overall gambling involvement has a stronger association with problem gambling (PG) than any specific game type. However, few studies have used multiple analytic approaches on the same data set to assess these relationships. The aims of the current study were to identify patterns of gambling activity (PGAs) and to assess the relationships between different game types, PGAs, gambling involvement, and PG as measured by the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), using two different approaches. In a sample of Swedish gamblers who screened their gambling habits at the Swedish national gambling helpline website (N = 7,463, 79% males), seven different PGAs were identified. Increased gambling involvement was associated with PG severity, and the strength of the association varied by game type. Online casino games and electronic gambling machines had the weakest involvement effect and lotteries the strongest. Almost 50% of the gamblers belonged to the online casino PGA, characterized by online casino gambling. Gamblers in this PGA showed higher PGSI scores compared to three PGAs: online sports/online casino, horse/lottery, and online sports, and they had lower PGSI scores compared to the diverse PGA, characterized by engagement in all game types. No differences in PGSI scores were found between gamblers in three PGAs with high probability of online casino gambling but with varying engagement levels in other game types. In a Swedish context, the results from this study indicate that the focus of prevention and regulation should be on game types with the strongest associations with PG, namely, online casino games. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Gambling Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among European Regular Sports Bettors: An Empirical Study Using Behavioral Tracking Data

The novel coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had major impacts on most societies worldwide including the cancelation and postponement of sports events. This has had a major impact on the sports betting industry. The present study is first to investigate the behavior of a sample of online sports bettors before and after COVID-19 measures were put in place by European governments. The authors were given access to the player data by a large European online gambling operator comprising players from Sweden, Germany, Finland, and Norway. The behavioral change of the sports bettors before March 7 and after March 7 (2020) was computed. All sports bettors who placed at least one wager in at least 5 calendar weeks out of the 10 possible calendar weeks between January 1 and March 7 (n = 5396) were included in the analysis. Results showed statistically significant reductions among sports bettors wagering in online casinos. This indicates that there was no conversion of money spent from sports betting to online casino games, at least for this particular online gambling operator. The findings suggest that there was a significant decrease in the amount of money wagered by sports bettors during the COVID-19 pandemic (compared with before it) and that sports bettors did not switch to playing more online casino games and that there was also a significant reduction in playing online casino games among sports bettors.

Equivalent gambling warning labels are perceived differently.

Background and AimsThe same information may be perceived differently, depending on how it is described. The risk information given on many gambling warning labels tends to accentuate what a gambler might expect to win, e.g. ‘This game has an average percentage payout of 90%’ (return‐to‐player), rather than what a gambler might expect to lose, e.g. ‘This game keeps 10% of all money bet on average’ (house‐edge). We compared gamblers’ perceived chances of winning and levels of warning label understanding under factually equivalent return‐to‐player and house‐edge formats.DesignOnline surveys: experiment 1 was designed to test how gamblers’ perceived chances of winning would vary under equivalent warning labels, and experiment 2 explored how often equivalent warning labels were correctly understood by gamblers.SettingUnited Kingdom.ParticipantsUK nationals, aged 18 years and over and with experience of virtual on‐line gambling games, such as on‐line roulette, were recruited from an on‐line crowd‐sourcing panel (experiment 1, n = 399; experiment 2, n = 407).MeasurementsThe main dependent variables were a gambler's perceived chances of winning on a seven‐point Likert scale (experiment 1) and a multiple‐choice measure of warning label understanding (experiment 2).FindingsThe house‐edge label led to lower perceived chances of winning in experiment 1, F (1, 388) = 19.03, P < 0.001. In experiment 2, the house‐edge warning label was understood by more gamblers [66.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 60.0%, 73.0%] than the return‐to‐player warning label (45.6%, 95% CI = 38.8%, 52.4%, z = 4.22, P < 0.001).ConclusionsHouse‐edge warning labels on electronic gambling machines and on‐line casino games, which explain what a gambler might expect to lose, could help gamblers to pay greater attention to product risk and would be better understood by gamblers than equivalent return‐to‐player labels.

Over-Indebtedness and Problem Gambling in a General Population Sample of Online Gamblers.

BackgroundOnline gambling has increased in recent years, including online casino games and live sports betting which constitute rapid gambling activities with significant potential for gambling-related harm. There is a paucity of research examining whether specific gambling patterns are related to problem gambling and over-indebtedness, when controlling for psychological distress, gender, and other risk factors.MethodsA general population-based web panel of 1,004 online gamblers were examined in an online survey addressing problem gambling symptoms (the PGSI), psychological distress (Kessler- 6), past 30-day gambling activities, past 30-day gambling losses, history of subjective over-indebtedness and expected over-indebtedness in the near future, as well as socio-demographic data.ResultsIn logistic regression analyses, problem gambling was associated with psychological distress, recent online casino gambling, and recent combined online casino gambling and live sports betting. History of over-indebtedness was associated with recent combined online casino gambling and live sports betting, and expected over-indebtedness was associated with online casino gambling. Problem gambling, and a history of having borrowed money for gambling, were markedly higher in online casino gamblers, compared to subjects not reporting this gambling activity. Problem gambling was markedly more common in women, but was not associated with gender in the adjusted analysis.ConclusionsIn online gamblers, high rates of problem gambling and over-indebtedness were seen, and online casino gambling (alone or in combination with live sports betting), was associated with remarkably increased risk. Gender distribution of problem gamblers was clearly in contrast to that found in previous problem gambling literature. These findingsa suggest regulations in the market of online casino gambling, and prevention of over-indebtedness in gambling-related borrowing, in consumer credit counselling and in mental health care. In particular, female gender may need to be addressed as a stronger risk factor than previously described.

Gambling behavior among Macau college and university students

This survey investigated gambling behavior among Chinese students studying in Macau colleges and universities. It also aimed to examine the relationship between problem gambling, affect states and sensation seeking propensity. A convenience sample of 999 students (370 men, 629 women) filled a self-administered questionnaire consisted of the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) (Ferris and Wynne in The Canadian problem gambling index: User manual. Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, Toronto 2001a), the 8-item Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS-8) (Hoyle et al. Pers Individ Diff 32(3): 401–414, 2002), Bradburn’s Affect Balance Scale (BABS) (Bradburn in The structure of psychological well-being. Aldine, Chicago 1969) and questions on gambling activities. The response rate is 65%. Results indicate 32.3% (n = 323) of the survey participants wagered on mahjong (61.8%), soccer matches (40.2%), Mark Six lottery (37.2%), card games (28.1%), land-based casino gambling (13.1%), slot machines (7.5%) and online casino games (2.0%). The average monthly stake was MOP $411. Seeking entertainment (18.7%), killing time (12.5%) and peer influence (11.1%) were the three main reasons for gambling. Using the PGSI, 3.6 and 5.3% of the students could be identified as moderate-risk and problem gamblers respectively. Men were significantly more vulnerable to gambling problems (X2(1) = 35.00, p < 0.01) than women. Most of the problematic gamblers (76%) made their first bet before 14 years. The PGSI scores are significantly correlated with the BSSS-8 scores (r = 0.23, p < 0.01) but not with the overall ABS scores (r = −0.06, p > 0.05). The study findings inform campus prevention programs and future research.

DOES PARETO RULE INTERNET GAMBLING? PROBLEMS AMONG THE “VITAL FEW” &amp; “TRIVIAL MANY”

Using records of Internet gambling subscribers (n = 1,384), this study tested the Pareto principle: about 20% of customers, “the vital few,” are responsible for about 80% of the activity, while 80%, “the trivial many,” are responsible for the remaining 20%. Participants completed the Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen (BBGS) and had a history of betting on sports and/or online casino games during the twelve months before completing the screen. Using various measures, the vital few Internet gamblers ranged between 4.6% and 17.8% of the subscribers – smaller than the Pareto principle would suggest. Between 38% and 67% of the vital few and between 24% and 35% of the trivial many screened positive for gambling-related problems. This research suggests that the concepts of the “vital few” and the “trivial many” apply to Internet gambling.

ALL IN: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF LEGISLATIVE VOTING ON INTERNET GAMBLING RESTRICTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES

In 2006, the U.S. Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) which prohibited financial institutions from processing transactions arising from online gaming activities, thereby severely hindering U.S. residents from participating in online casino games, primarily poker. Enactment of this legislation followed lobbying and political pressure from a variety of interest groups. By examining House roll call votes, we identify empirically the sources of political influence that resulted in passage of the internet gambling legislation. We find that party affiliation was of primary importance, with Republicans more likely to vote in favor of the bill. The percentage of constituents who are Evangelical Christians and also the number of gambling establishments in the district were positively associated with votes for the bill. However, contributions from the gaming industry decreased the probability a congressman would vote for the bill. (JEL D72, L83)

Gambling pathology is associated with dampened cortisol response among men and women

Pathological gambling has many similarities to pharmacological addiction. Notably, both pathological gambling and drug addiction are characterized by aberrations in hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis responding. As well, there are indications that gender differences may play a role in these processes. Whether gender and/or HPA response are associated with pathological gambling was of interest. Recreational and pathological gamblers (15 men and 6 women per group) had the HPA factor, cortisol, assessed in saliva before and after watching a video of their preferred mode of gambling (slot machines, horse race betting, scratch-off tickets, blackjack, video poker, craps, sports betting, online casino games, or lottery tickets), and a video of neutral stimuli (a rollercoaster ride). Basal levels of salivary cortisol did not significantly differ among recreational and pathological gamblers. However, recreational gamblers demonstrated significantly increased salivary cortisol levels after the gambling and rollercoaster videos, whereas pathological gamblers demonstrated no salivary cortisol increase in response to either video stimulus. There was also a non-significant trend for women to have a greater cortisol response to video stimuli compared to men. These data suggest that pathological gambling is associated with hypoactive HPA response to gambling stimuli, similar to chronic drug exposure, and gender may contribute to this effect.

Italy's New Rules Enforce the Prohibition of Online Casino Games

Italy's New Rules Enforce the Prohibition of Online Casino Games

Service Marketing Aspects Associated with the Allure of E-Gambling

A recent outlet for gambling that has evolved with the advent of e-commerce is Internet gambling. Internet gambling has become a very popular outlet for betting on all sports or playing online casino games. With the ease of use and increasing accessibility, a gambler does not even need to leave their home to place bets or play the casino games, often with financially devastating results. Other important questions concerning the service marketing of this type of interactive entertainment exists as well. What are the moral implications of operating these gambling websites, and what type of gambler are these websites targeting? In terms of service marketing, the online industry excels in customer service by offering many of the interactive entertainment industries' finest technologies and promotional campaigns through offering outstanding interfaces, variety of games and online chat with other players. However, with Internet gambling, dilemmas to the following exist at the individual, firm, and society levels. These dilemmas also affect the future of the gambling industry as a whole, and Internet gambling in particular. These quandaries include regulatory questions for government, how use of credit card funds for gambling purposes has effected the banking/finance industry, and enticement of gambling to the potential gambling addict. Models of these effects are included.