Scratch Cards Research Articles

Gioco problematico: evidenze empiriche e riflessioni per la prevenzione

One thing is to gamble, another is to gamble a lot, another is addiction. A further aspect to be considered concerns emphasizing the number of problematic gamblers, a figure that might turn out to be counterproductive (an accurate estimate helps prevention policies) while concealing other correlated issues (economic crisis, loneliness of elderly people, the lack of spaces for socialization), with the risk of transforming important social problems into specific health problems, that is the medicalization of gambling. Here we present the results of six studies conducted in the North of Italy in the period between 2000 and 2015: a social issue emerges, concentrated in particular places (e.g. cafes, tobacconist’s) where various types of games are available (e.g. slot machines, instant lotteries, scratch cards), and not always related to other types of addiction. Gambling is most widespread among males and increases with age, but factors that seem to affect intensive gambling are social rank (low level of education and non-professional condition), particular lifestyles (being overweight, cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse) and other behavioural disorders (compulsive shopping). It is estimates that there are 1.8 subjects with gambling-related problems who need treatment per one thousand residents, but only one in three turns to the health services, the most serious cases and with other concomitant issues (psychic disorders). This implies the need to promote and make known the services existing on the territory, and the need for a supply of innovative pathways oriented to a variety of targets, together with dedicated prevention initiatives.

Promotional Games: Trick or Treat?

Some marketers use game settings to offer deals. Though research has studied the conditions under which consumers engage in such games, we know little about how they respond to deal offers won through the gaming process. We hypothesize that when faced with deal offers from games, such as scratch cards or trivia quizzes, consumers who are high (vs. low) in choice freedom needs often feel reactance and reject the offer. We find converging evidence for this prediction in both controlled experiments (studies 1 and 3) and in a field study (study 2), when using ethnic backgrounds as a proxy for participants’ choice freedom needs (study 1), when directly measuring these needs (study 2), and when manipulating beliefs about the importance of free choice (study 3).

Gambling laws need an update to protect kids

Huge numbers of children are gambling online, the UK Gambling Commission reports. About 25,000 children aged between 11 and 16 meet the definition of a problem gambler, according to the commission's latest annual survey. And some 370,000 children in England, Scotland and Wales--12 per cent of the total--said they had gambled in the past week. The most common forms of gambling that children participate in take place in the physical realm, involving fruit machines, scratch cards or just making wagers with friends. Now, however, a type of online gambling called skin betting is also taking off, and a regulatory blind spot means children are able to easily take part. Here, Revell argues that we now need new laws that are properly adapted to the digital age.

Built-in bad luck: Evidence of near-miss outcomes by design in scratch cards

Scratch cards are a pervasive form of gambling in the Canadian marketplace. Despite their widespread appeal, we are only beginning to understand the influence of their structural characteristics on the player. The most widely studied of these characteristics is the near-miss, a game outcome in which the player gets two of the three needed symbols to win a jackpot prize. Although other authors have noted the existence of these outcomes in scratch cards, no systematic investigation has been undertaken to understand their occurrence in these games. We present the results of an analysis to determine the frequency of these outcomes using two samples (sample A, n = 41; sample B, n = 61) of a popular scratch card game available in Ontario, Canada. Our results suggest that certain scratch card games may be designed to include more pairs of jackpot symbols (i.e., more near-miss outcomes) than any other symbol pair. In the game that we analyzed, the top prize symbol occurred more often than any other symbol and appeared to be manipulated to appear in clusters of two, creating many near-miss outcomes to the jackpot prize. This work has strong implications for the study of gambling behaviour, responsible gambling strategies, as well as for the scientific investigation of scratch card games. Les cartes à gratter sont une forme très répandue de jeux sur le marché canadien. Malgré leur grand attrait, nous commençons à comprendre l’influence de leurs caractéristiques structurelles sur le joueur. La caractéristique la plus étudiée parmi elles est un résultat s'approchant du résultat gagnant; le joueur obtient deux des trois symboles nécessaires pour gagner un gros lot. Bien que d’autres auteurs aient noté l’existence de ce genre de résultats dans des cartes à gratter, aucune enquête systématique n’a été entreprise pour comprendre leur occurrence dans ces jeux. Nous présentons les résultats d’une analyse pour déterminer la fréquence de ces résultats en utilisant deux échantillons (échantillon A, n = 41; échantillon B, n = 61) d’un jeu de cartes à gratter populaire, vendu en Ontario, au Canada. Selon nos résultats, certains jeux de cartes à gratter peuvent être conçus pour inclure plus de paires de symboles pour le gros lot (c’est-à-dire des résultats plus proches) que n’importe quelle autre paire de symboles. Dans le jeu que nous avons analysé, le symbole du prix le plus élevé était présent plus souvent que tout autre symbole et semblait être manipulé pour apparaître en grappes de deux, créant de nombreux résultats proches du résultat gagnant. Ce travail a de fortes répercussions pour l’étude du comportement du jeu, du jeu et des stratégies responsables, de même que pour l’étude scientifique des jeux de cartes à gratter.

Built-in bad luck: Evidence of near-miss outcomes by design in scratch cards

Scratch cards are a pervasive form of gambling in the Canadian marketplace. Despite their widespread appeal, we are only beginning to understand the influence of their structural characteristics on the player. The most widely studied of these characteristics is the near-miss, a game outcome in which the player gets two of the three needed symbols to win a jackpot prize. Although other authors have noted the existence of these outcomes in scratch cards, no systematic investigation has been undertaken to understand their occurrence in these games. We present the results of an analysis to determine the frequency of these outcomes using two samples (sample A, n = 41; sample B, n = 61) of a popular scratch card game available in Ontario, Canada. Our results suggest that certain scratch card games may be designed to include more pairs of jackpot symbols (i.e., more near-miss outcomes) than any other symbol pair. In the game that we analyzed, the top prize symbol occurred more often than any other symbol and appeared to be manipulated to appear in clusters of two, creating many near-miss outcomes to the jackpot prize. This work has strong implications for the study of gambling behaviour, responsible gambling strategies, as well as for the scientific investigation of scratch card games. Les cartes à gratter sont une forme très répandue de jeux sur le marché canadien. Malgré leur grand attrait, nous commençons à comprendre l’influence de leurs caractéristiques structurelles sur le joueur. La caractéristique la plus étudiée parmi elles est un résultat s'approchant du résultat gagnant; le joueur obtient deux des trois symboles nécessaires pour gagner un gros lot. Bien que d’autres auteurs aient noté l’existence de ce genre de résultats dans des cartes à gratter, aucune enquête systématique n’a été entreprise pour comprendre leur occurrence dans ces jeux. Nous présentons les résultats d’une analyse pour déterminer la fréquence de ces résultats en utilisant deux échantillons (échantillon A, n = 41; échantillon B, n = 61) d’un jeu de cartes à gratter populaire, vendu en Ontario, au Canada. Selon nos résultats, certains jeux de cartes à gratter peuvent être conçus pour inclure plus de paires de symboles pour le gros lot (c’est-à-dire des résultats plus proches) que n’importe quelle autre paire de symboles. Dans le jeu que nous avons analysé, le symbole du prix le plus élevé était présent plus souvent que tout autre symbole et semblait être manipulé pour apparaître en grappes de deux, créant de nombreux résultats proches du résultat gagnant. Ce travail a de fortes répercussions pour l’étude du comportement du jeu, du jeu et des stratégies responsables, de même que pour l’étude scientifique des jeux de cartes à gratter.

Problem Gambling among Adolescent Girls in Croatia-The Role of Different Psychosocial Predictors.

Although, compared to boys, adolescent girls gamble less often and less problematically, prevalence studies still show significant numbers of at risk/problem gamblers among girls. However, girl gambling has been on the sidelines of adolescent gambling research. The available studies usually focus only on a narrow set of correlates often ignoring that adolescent gambling is a complex phenomenon determined by various factors. Also, they often measure gambling related consequences with instruments that are not specifically developed for use on adolescents. In order to contribute to a better understanding of adolescent gambling this study focuses on problem gambling among girls. We consider different social, cognitive, motivational and behavioral factors as predictors of girl problem gambling. A total of 1,372 high-school girls from 7 Croatian cities participated in the study. They provided data on their gambling activities, peer gambling, cognitive distortions related to gambling, motivation for gambling, and levels of general risky behavior. As the only instrument developed specifically for use on adolescents, the Canadian Adolescent Gambling Inventory was used to examine adverse gambling consequences. Results show 7.4% of girls can be considered regular gamblers, and out of those who gambled at least once in their lifetime (n = 862), 11.2% already experience mild adverse consequences because of their gambling (at risk gamblers), with 3.2% experiencing serious consequences (problem gamblers). In general, girls seem to prefer lotto and scratch cards, but sports betting seems to be the preferred game of choice among regular girl gamblers. A hierarchical regression model confirmed the importance of much the same factors identified as risky for the development of problem gambling among adolescent boys—cognitive distortions, motives to earn money, to be better at gambling and to relax, the experiences of winning large and the drive to continue gambling, together with social factors such as having friends who also gamble, being involved in other risky and delinquent behavior and higher gambling frequency. Results call into question the importance of the motive to feel better for adolescent girls problem gambling. We discuss implications of our findings for both universal and indicated youth gambling prevention programs.

Rapid analgesia for prehospital hip disruption (RAPID): protocol for feasibility study of randomised controlled trial

BackgroundAdequate pain relief at the point of injury and during transport to hospital is a major challenge in all acute traumas, especially for those with hip fractures, whose injuries are difficult to immobilise and whose long-term outcomes may be adversely affected by administration of opiate analgesics. Fascia iliaca compartment block (FICB) is a procedure routinely undertaken by doctors and nurses in the emergency department for patients with hip fracture but not yet evaluated for use by paramedics at the scene of emergency calls.In this feasibility study, we aim to test whether FICB administered by paramedics at the scene of participants’ hip fractures is feasible, safe and acceptable. This will enable us to decide whether to proceed to a fully powered, multi-centre pragmatic randomised trial to evaluate whether the procedure is effective for patients and worthwhile for the NHS.Methods/designIn this study, we propose to recruit ten paramedics in an urban area of South Wales. We will train them to carry out FICB when they attend patients with hip fracture. We will randomly allocate eligible patients to FICB or usual care using audited scratch cards. We will follow up participants to assess measurability of key outcomes including quality of life, pain scores, adverse events, length of stay in hospital, acceptability to patients and compliance of paramedics. We will assess whether the findings meet specified feasibility criteria and, if so, plan a full trial.DiscussionThis study will enable us to recommend whether to undertake a definitive trial of FICB by paramedics for hip fracture.Trial registrationISRCTN60065373

ОРГАНІЗАЦІЯ ОБЛІКУ ПАЛИВНО-МАСТИЛЬНИХ МАТЕРІАЛІВ ЯК ІНСТРУМЕНТ ОПТИМІЗАЦІЇ ВИТРАТ НА ЕКСПЛУАТАЦІЮ АВТОТРАНСПОРТУ

Costs of using motor transport is directly related to the quantity and quality of fuel and lubricants and their valuation. The latter depends significantly on the prices generated in the fuel and energy market and the logistics policy of the enterprise, which is the basis for the organization of accounting for fuel and lubricants as an object of accounting, costs and management impact. Considering the organization of accounting as a set of measures to organize the work of the accounting staff and the organization of the process of accounting and reporting, the dominant influence of technical and methodological features of accounting on the formation of levers of management influence. In the article we have compiled a comparative table of the most common in economic practice methods of purchasing fuels and lubricants and identified key details that affect the formation of economic indicators of documentary support of business transactions. The basic methods of purchasing fuel include: cash purchase (has a very limited scope) and non-cash purchases using: list on the sale of petroleum products, coupons, scratch cards and fuel smart cards. The specifics of construction of accounting nomenclatures at the stage of primary and current accounting by each of these methods are revealed. The key problems that complicate the rational organization of accounting of fuel and lubricants in practice are identified: regulatory gaps in the regulation of documentary support of records in accounting; vagueness (or underestimation) of the significance of the contractual settlement of the moment and conditions of transfer of ownership of fuel; lack of practical experience in applying professional judgments in the qualification of objects of accounting for non-cash supply of fuels and lubricants. Based on the results of a critical analysis of the methods of purchasing fuels and lubricants, a conclusion was made about the feasibility of a practical choice in favor of one of them (or a combination thereof) based on an assessment of their efficiency.

Increased Urge to Gamble Following Near-Miss Outcomes May Drive Purchasing Behaviour in Scratch Card Gambling

Previous research into scratch card gambling has highlighted the effects of these games on players’ arousal and affective states. Specifically, near-miss outcomes in scratch cards (uncovering 2 of 3 needed jackpot symbols) have been associated with high levels of physiological and subjective arousal and negative emotional evaluations, including increased frustration. We sought to extend this research by examining whether near-misses prompted increases in gambling urge, and the subsequent purchasing of additional scratch cards. Participants played two scratch cards with varying outcomes with half of the sample experiencing a near-miss for the jackpot prize, and the other half experiencing a regular loss. Players rated their urge to continue gambling after each game outcome, and following the initial playing phase, were then able to use their winnings to purchase additional cards. Our results indicated that near-misses increased the urge to gamble significantly more than regular losses, and urge to gamble in the near-miss group was significantly correlated with purchasing at least one additional card. Although some players in the loss group purchased another card, there was no correlation between urge to gamble and purchasing in this group. Additionally, participants in the near-miss group who purchased additional cards reported higher levels of urge than those who did not purchase more cards. This was not true for the loss group: participants who experienced solely losing outcomes reported similar levels of urge regardless of whether or not they purchased more scratch cards. Despite near-misses’ objective status as monetary losses, the increased urge that follows near-miss outcomes may translate into further scratch card gambling for a subset of individuals .

Implementing Team Based Learning in an Information Literacy Course

Introduction: Motivating students to improve their Information Literacy (IL) skills can be a challenge. As a pilot, we implemented Team Based Learning (TBL) in our IL lessons. TBL is an interactive learning approach based on the “flipped classroom” concept, offering students opportunities to gather skills via immediate feedback during individual and team activities. Moreover, TBL promises to be an attractive and activating way of learning. We were interested if TBL, A) indeed activates students and B) improves their IL skills more than with lectures and self-tuition.Methods: TBL was implemented in a first year bachelor IL course in the year 2015-2016. Student were asked to study three IL e-learning modules before class. The obtained knowledge was assessed individually during an Individual Readiness Assessment test (IRAT) and in a team via a Team Readiness Assessment test (TRAT) using “scratch and win cards”. After this, teams were given an IL case and the members had to come to a consensus about the best solution out of a couple options provided. Finally, students took a written exam, which was the same as used in this course in the year 2014-2015, when TBL was not applied yet.We compared the grades of the written exam between the two academic years using a Mann Whitney U test (P<0.05). Students’ opinion about TBL was polled using a 34 question student survey.Results: The mean written exam grades were significantly higher in the TBL year than in the preceding year without TBL (respectively, 7.6 ± 1.42 vs 6.5 ± 1.31, P<0.001). The student survey showed that students were positive about the IRATs and TRATs, but neutral about other TBL parts.Conclusion: TBL seems to be a good didactical method to motivate students and enhance their IL skills.

Assessing the independent and combined effects of subsidies for antimalarials and rapid diagnostic testing on fever management decisions in the retail sector: results from a factorial randomised trial in western Kenya

ObjectivesThere is an urgent need to understand how to improve targeting of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) to patients with confirmed malaria infection, including subsidised ACTs sold over-the-counter. We hypothesised that...

Mobile Phones as Amplifiers of Social Inequality among Rural Kenyan Women

This article provides a detailed analysis of rural Kenyan women and their interactions with the products and services of Safaricom Ltd., Kenya's dominant mobile network provider. The amplification theory of technology offers a framework for analyzing our data, and we find that differential motivation and capacity are mechanisms that appear to benefit the network provider, while disadvantaging rural mobile phone owners. In particular, the design of Safaricom's airtime scratch cards and mobile services does not support rural users’ capabilities. Our analysis suggests that technologists consider their ongoing responsibilities for technologies they built yesterday—that is, they should address problems inherent in the current design of mobile-phone interfaces. We offer practical recommendations on how to do this, and ask HCI/ICTD researchers and practitioners to more carefully consider how overlooking corporate power structures and their impact on mobile phone use amplifies social inequality.

Subtyping Gambling Acitivities: Case of Korca City, Albania

Gambling research has grown dramatically over the past 2-3 decades, however a lack of consensus regarding the risk factors and gambling etiology related to youth problem gambling still remain. So a better understanding of the nature of youth problem gambling could help us to clarify the etiology of gambling problems. Understanding gambling subtypes is necessary to improve our understanding of the etiology of problem gambling. The prediction of problem gambling is related with the participation in gambling activities. It is necessary to obtain a structure of gambling activities, in order to better understand gambling related problems and to treat problems in a more specified manner. The aim of the study was to determine the appropriate structure of gambling activities using factor analysis in a confirmatory framework. Students are a particularly interesting population in which to study gambling. The research utilized a cross-sectional design and self-report questionnaires. The study concludes that the two-factor solution better represents the chance-and skill-based gambling activities. The first factor is most strongly associated with chance-based activities (lottery, bingo, scratch cards). The second factor is most strongly associated with activities that require some degree of skill (poker, roulette, sport bet, racing, etc. ).

Reinforcing Small Wins and Frustrating Near-Misses: Further Investigation Into Scratch Card Gambling

Scratch card games are incredibly popular in the Canadian marketplace. However, only recently have researchers started to systematically analyze their structural characteristics and how these in turn affect the gambler. We present two studies designed to further understand the underlying physiological and psychological effects that scratch cards have on gamblers. We had gamblers (63 in Experiment 1, 68 in Experiment 2) play custom made scratch cards involving a small win, a regular loss and a near-miss—where they uncovered two out of the three symbols needed to win the top prize. Our predictions were that despite near-misses and losses being objectively equivalent (the gambler wins nothing) gamblers’ reactions to these outcomes would differ dramatically. During game play, skin conductance levels and heart rate were recorded, as well as how long gamblers paused between each game. Gamblers’ subjective reactions to the different outcomes were then assessed. In both studies, near-misses triggered higher levels of physiological arousal (skin conductance levels and heart rates) than losses. Gamblers paused significantly longer following small wins than other outcomes, and reported high arousal, positive affect and urge to gamble—a constellation of results consistent with their rewarding properties. Importantly near-miss outcomes were rated as highly arousing, negative in emotional tone, and the most frustrating of all three outcome types examined. In Experiment 2, when we measured subjective urge to gamble immediately after each outcome, urge to gamble was significantly higher following near-misses than regular losses. Thus, despite not rewarding the gambler with any monetary gain, these outcomes nevertheless triggered higher arousal and larger urges to gamble than regular losses, a finding that may explain in part, the allure of scratch cards as a gambling activity.

Perioperative hemodynamic optimization using the photoplethysmography in colorectal surgery (the PANEX3 trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundPhotoplethysmography with a digital sensor (ClearSight, Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA) connected to a dedicated monitor (EV 1000, Edwards Lifesciences) was recently proposed for use in performing hemodynamic optimization during surgery. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of photoplethysmography on the incidence of postoperative complications compared with the conventional hemodynamic algorithm, which uses mean arterial pressure.Methods/designThe hemodynamic optimization using photoplethysmography (PANEX3) trial is a monocentric, randomized, single-blind, controlled, two parallel arm, superiority trial, randomizing 160 patients with an intermediate risk of postoperative complications after colorectal surgery. Informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The hemodynamic optimization is conducted using a specified hemodynamic algorithm either with photoplethysmography (the photoplethysmography group) or with conventional mean arterial pressure (the control group). The anesthesiologist performed a 1:1 randomization the day before surgery using a scratch card, which is available 24/7. The randomization sequence is generated using permutated blocks. Both the patients and surgeons are blinded to the allocation group. The primary outcome is the incidence of at least one postoperative complication during the 30 days following surgery. Two independent experts, who were blinded to the group allocations, validate the complication for each patient using an a priori classification. The secondary outcomes are to study the total number of postoperative complications, the real length of hospital stays, and the postoperative mortality between each group.DiscussionThe PANEX3 trial is the first randomized controlled study conducted to investigate whether perioperative hemodynamic optimization using photoplethysmography during colorectal surgery could decrease the incidence of patients having at least one postoperative complication.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02343601

Aripiprazole, jeu pathologique et sexualité compulsive

IntroductionAripiprazole, an atypical or second-generation antipsychotic, is usually well tolerated. It is an approved treatment for schizophrenia and mania in bipolar disorder type 1. Unlike the other antipsychotics, it has high affinity agonist properties for dopamine D2 and D3 receptors. It has also 5-HT1A partial agonist and 5-HT2A antagonist properties. Aripiprazole is a first or second line treatment frequently used because it has reduced side effects such as weight gain, sleepiness, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, hyperprolactinemia and extrapyramidal symptoms. Case-reportWe report the case of a 28-year-old male patient diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder. He was a moderate smoker with occasional social gambling habits. After several psychotic episodes, he was first treated with risperidone, but he experienced excessive sedation, decreased libido, erectile dysfunction and was switched to 15 mg aripiprazole. He developed an addiction habit for gambling at casino slot machines. Due to large gambling debts, he requested placement on a voluntary self-exclusion list. Thereafter, he turned his attention towards scratch card gambling. The patient described his experience of gambling as a “hypnotic state”. He got several personal loans to obtain money to continue gambling. He was then referred to an addiction unit. Before being treated with aripiprazole, he was an exclusive heterosexual with a poor sexual activity. Under treatment, he switched to a homosexual behavior with hypersexuality, unprotected sex and sadomasochistic practices. The craving for gambling and compulsive sexual behavior ceased two weeks after aripiprazole was discontinued and he was switched to amisulpride. Thereafter, he reported a return to a heterosexual orientation. DiscussionCompulsive behaviors such as gambling, hypersexuality and new sexual orientation are common in patients with Parkinson's disease treated with dopaminergic agonists. These behaviors involve the reward system, with an enhanced dopaminergic activity in the mesolimbic pathways and occur more frequently in young subjects, males with previous gambling habits and tobacco use. A few cases of aripiprazole-induced pathological gambling as well as aripiprazole-induced hypersexuality have been reported. To our knowledge, we are the first to report a case of gambling disorder associated with hypersexuality and change of sexuality orientation. Aripiprazole is the only antipsychotic with agonist properties for the D2 dopamine receptor. It may also act as an enhancer in the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways. Aripiprazole also has 5-HT1A partial agonist and 5-HT2A antagonist properties that may promote sexual activity. ConclusionAripiprazole is an antipsychotic associated with reduced side effects compared to other antipsychotics. We report the case of a patient who experienced gambling disorder, hypersexuality and a new sexual orientation under treatment. These side effects are little known. They are usually difficult for patients to mention due to feelings of guilt. The consequences on social life, family and health may be serious. Clinicians and patients should be aware about the possible issue of these behavior disorders with aripiprazole.

Performance Improvement of Inventory Management System Processes by an Automated Warehouse Management System

This study investigates the impact of a warehouse management system on supply chain performance that provides less resources effort, more efficient, and reliable inventory management system. The supply chain procedures carried out in the warehouse were reviewed before customizing a software that can handle the necessary transactions. The software was tested for enhancing the work flow and providing a timely and efficient handling. Data was collected from the warehouse of a leading telecommunications service provider in Jordan. Furthermore, the facility layout was studied and we introduced a production station within the warehouse, which resulted in better space optimization/utilization of the warehouse. The production station consists of three steps: bundling, labelling, and repackaging. The system handles three phases of product lifecycle: receiving, processing, and distribution of SIM and prepaid scratch cards. Each phase of the product lifecycle was discussed in detail and the process/procedure gaps were identified. This work can serve both as a practical guide and industrial example for some researchers to compare the software inventory management system with the traditional manual system in the telecommunications sector in Jordan. It also highlights the gap between theory and practice; to motivate researchers to develop and customize new systems for mitigating supply chain disruptions.

Incentives and participation in a medical survey.

BACKGROUND Questionnaire surveys are important for surveying the health and disease behaviour of the population, but recent years have seen a fall in participation. Our study tested whether incentives can increase participation in these surveys.MATERIAL AND METHOD We sent a questionnaire on risk factors for colorectal cancer (height, weight, smoking, self-reported diagnoses, family medical history) to non-screened participants in a randomised colonoscopy screening study for colorectal cancer: participants who were invited but did not attend for colonoscopy examination (screening-invited) and persons who were not offered colonoscopy (control group). The persons were randomised to three groups: no financial incentive, lottery scratch cards included with the form, or a prize draw for a tablet computer when they responded to the form. We followed up all the incentive groups with telephone reminder calls, and before the prize draw for the tablet computer.RESULTS Altogether 3 705 of 6 795 persons (54.5 %) responded to the questionnaire; 43.5 % of those invited for screening and 65.6 % of the control group (p < 0.001). The proportion that answered was not influenced by incentives, either among those invited for screening (42.4 % in the non-prize group, 45.5 % in the lottery scratch card group and 42.6 % in the prize draw group; p = 0.24), or in the control group (65.6 % in the non-prize group, 66.4 % in the lottery scratch card group and 64.7 % in the prize draw group; p = 0.69). Prior to reminder calls, 39.2 % responded. A further 15.3 % responded following telephone reminder calls (14.1 % of the screening-invited and 16.5 % of the control group; p < 0.001).INTERPRETATION Incentives did not increase participation in this medical questionnaire survey. Use of telephone reminder calls and telephone interviews increased participation, but whether this is more effective than other methods requires further study.

Examining Problematic Gambling and Mental Health in a LGBTI community: A preliminary study

This preliminary study explored gambling in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersex (LGBTI) community, recognising this as an under researched area. Several factors were considered alongside gambling, namely mental health, substance use, alcohol use and self-control. Participants were recruited to take part in an online survey, with a final sample of 69 obtained. Findings revealed that gambling activities such as pub slot machines/games (58%) were the most common form of gambling, followed by scratch cards (43.5%). The most common motive for engaging in gambling was for ‘fun’, followed by ‘because you like the feeling’. Twenty percent of participants appeared to meet the criteria for gambling disorder, as defined by the DSM–V. Mental health variables, namely depression and anxiety, did not distinguish between problematic and non-problematic gambling whereas alcohol, drug use and self-control did; higher levels of alcohol and higher levels of drug use were present in the problematic gambling group which appeared to confirm gambling as a difficulty best placed within the addiction spectrum. Self-control was also lower in the problematic gambling group and represented a significant predictor of problematic gambling.

Towards a Validation of the Three Pathways Model of Pathological Gambling.

With the aim of validating the three pathways hypothesis of pathological gambling (Blaszczynski and Nower in Addiction 97:487-499, 2002) 372 pathological gamblers meeting DSM IV (2000) criteria were assessed via a structured clinical interview as well as being subjected to personality tests and evaluation of their gambling practices. Our results show that it is possible to identify three subgroups corresponding to the three pathways: behaviourally conditioned problem gamblers, emotionally vulnerable problem gamblers and antisocial impulsivist problem gamblers. Our results particularly demonstrate that impulsivist gamblers preferentially choose semi-skilful gambling (horse racing and sports gambling) whereas emotionally vulnerable gamblers are significantly more attracted to games of chance (one-armed bandits, scratch cards, etc.) This led us to propose a functional presentation of the three pathways model which differs somewhat from the Blaszczynski and Nower presentation.