Self-Exclusion from Gambling-A Measure of COVID-19 Impact on Gambling in a Highly Online-Based Gambling Market?
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Hakansson A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8305751 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Gambling self-exclusion programs are under-utilised and barriers to entry include shame and embarrassment with face-to-face registration, and complex and effortful procedures. The current study aimed to facilitate self-exclusion from gambling venues via an online self-directed website. A co-design approach was used to elicit key stakeholders' perspectives on required website features, functionality, and to identify variables potentially impacting on development and implementation. Semi-structured focus groups and interviews were conducted across four stakeholders (N = 25): self-exclusion end users (consumers, n = 5), gambling counsellors (n = 7), venue staff (n = 6), and policy makers (n = 7). Overall, stakeholder perspectives were consistent with content analysis indicating the importance of website user-friendliness, flexibility, supportiveness, and trustworthiness. Importantly, these attributes were linked to target end users': perceived vulnerabilities, diverse backgrounds and individual expectations. Participants believed that the entire self-exclusion process should be conducted online, including identity verification, whilst expecting high-level data security measures to protect their personal privacy. A separate webpage was also suggested containing relevant information and links to additional help services, such as counselling. This study describes an adaptable co-design framework for developing a usable and acceptable self-exclusion website. Future studies should empirically test system usability and acceptability to refine and maximise system uptake upon implementation. Findings may have broader implications for digital health intervention design.
| S-EPMC8715329 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Despite evidence for effectiveness, only a small proportion of individuals with gambling disorder ever access treatment and support resources for their problem. Voluntary self-exclusion (VSE) programs are an ideal circumstance to engage individuals who are reluctant or have not yet sought formal treatment, given that individuals are already electing to prevent themselves from gambling through self-exclusion. The present study was a randomized controlled trial of a novel, online VSE self-management intervention. Individuals who chose to self-exclude at gambling venues (N = 201) were randomly assigned to participate in an online self-management program combined with VSE or to an in-person self-awareness educational workshop combined with VSE comparison group. Following a baseline assessment, participants were followed up at three, six, and twelve months via telephone interviews. Measured outcomes were gambling frequency and expenditure, problem gambling scores, problem drinking scores, type of goal set for gambling behaviour, quality of life, and treatment-seeking. The 12-month follow-up rate was 71% (n = 143). Participants in both VSE groups gambled less, spent less money gambling, and reported decreased need for formal treatment. However, there were no significant group differences on any of the primary or secondary outcomes. Only 30–35% of the participants completed their assigned workshop, depending on the group. Results from the online program satisfaction survey revealed that participants generally liked the program and rated the quality of the content highly, but thought there could be improvement regarding interactivity, variety, stimulation and greater clarity around registration steps and program objectives. The online VSE program is an effective alternative to the face-to-face VSE program. Although the outcomes between the two programs were not significantly different, the online program is easier to administer, able to reach more individuals since it only requires access to a computer and is based on motivational evidence-based principles of psychotherapy for gambling disorder. Highlights • The present study was a randomized controlled trial of an online gambling, voluntary self-exclusion (VSE) intervention.• The online program was compared to an-person program over 12 months.• Participants in both VSE groups gambled less, spent less money gambling, and reported decreased need for formal treatment.• There were no differences between groups on any outcomes.• The online VSE program is a cost-effective online alternative to a face-to-face VSE support program.
| S-EPMC7779774 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveSelf-exclusion is one of the main responsible gambling tools. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of self-exclusion motives in self-reports to the gambling service provider.SettingsThis is a retrospective cohort using prospective account-based gambling data obtained from a poker gambling provider.ParticipantsOver a period of 7 years we included all poker gamblers self-excluding for the first time, and reporting a motive for their self-exclusion (n=1996). We explored two groups: self-excluders who self-reported a motive related to addiction and those who reported a commercial motive.ResultsNo between-group adjusted difference was found on gambling summary variables. Sessions in the two groups were poorly discriminated one from another on four different machine-learning models. More than two-thirds of the gamblers resumed poker gambling after a first self-exclusion (n=1368), half of them within the first month. No between-group difference was found for the course of gambling after the first self-exclusion. 60.1% of first-time self-excluders self-excluded again (n=822). Losses in the previous month were greater before second self-exclusions than before the first.ConclusionsReported motives for self-exclusion appear non-informative, and could be misleading. Multiple self-exclusions seem to be more the rule than the exception. The process of self-exclusion should therefore be optimised from the first occurrence to protect heavy gamblers.
| S-EPMC6318524 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Restricting access to gambling products is one possible harm reduction strategy. We examined whether land-based gambling product supply restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted gambling problems and gambling engagement. In a three-wave, online, longitudinal study, 462 Australian adults (Mage = 44.94; 87% male) who gambled completed survey measures of demographics, gambling engagement (land-based and online), gambling problems, and psychological distress. Analyses were pre-registered and examined the impacts of restrictions on gambling problems and engagement. During the period of restrictions, there were no significant differences in gambling problems (OR = 0.88 [95%CI 0.55-1.42], p = .610) nor online gambling (B = 4.48 [95%CI-0.40-9.35], p = .071) between states experiencing and not experiencing restrictions. There was a small overall reduction in gambling engagement at 2-(t = 2.03, p = .043) and 5-months (t = 2.37, p = .019) post-restrictions, but no change in gambling problems (t = 1.25, p = .211; t = 1.50, p = .134). Amongst those at moderate-to-high risk of problems at baseline, there were no significant reductions in gambling engagement (t = 0.58, p = .564; t = 1.20, p = .232) or problems (t = 0.92, p = .359; t = 1.53, p = .126) at 2- and 5-months post-restrictions. Findings show only a modest impact of COVID-related supply restrictions on gambling engagement and no impact on gambling problems up to 5 months follow-up. The wide-ranging psychosocial and financial impacts of the pandemic may have overshadowed any potential beneficial effects of the supply restrictions on problem gambling levels. Policies to promote and improve access to problem gambling treatment services are needed even following periods of reduced availability of gambling products.
| S-EPMC8366491 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Habit formation occurs in relation to peer habits and comments. This general principle was applied to gambling abstinence in the context of online self-help forums to quit gambling. Participants in this study, conducted between September 2008 and March 2020, were 161 abstinent and 928 non-abstinent gamblers who participated in online self-help chat forums to quit gambling. They received 269,317 comments during their first 3 years of forum participation. Gamblers had an increased likelihood of 3-year continuous gambling abstinence if they had many peers in the forums. However, they had a decreased likelihood of gambling abstinence if they received rejective comments from the forums. Based on these results, online social network-based interventions may be a new treatment option for gamblers.
| S-EPMC8901770 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSpain has been one of the countries most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the first confirmed case was reported on January 31, 2020, there have been over 405,000 cases and 28,000 deaths in Spain. The economic and social impact is without precedent. Thus, it is important to quickly assess the situation and perception of the population. Large-scale online surveys have been shown to be an effective tool for this purpose.ObjectiveWe aim to assess the situation and perception of the Spanish population in four key areas related to the COVID-19 pandemic: social contact behavior during confinement, personal economic impact, labor situation, and health status.MethodsWe obtained a large sample using an online survey with 24 questions related to COVID-19 in the week of March 28-April 2, 2020, during the peak of the first wave of COVID-19 in Spain. The self-selection online survey method of nonprobability sampling was used to recruit 156,614 participants via social media posts that targeted the general adult population (age >18 years). Given such a large sample, the 95% CI was ±0.843 for all reported proportions.ResultsRegarding social behavior during confinement, participants mainly left their homes to satisfy basic needs. We found several statistically significant differences in social behavior across genders and age groups. The population's willingness to comply with the confinement measures is evident. From the survey answers, we identified a significant adverse economic impact of the pandemic on those working in small businesses and a negative correlation between economic damage and willingness to stay in confinement. The survey revealed that close contacts play an important role in the transmission of the disease, and 28% of the participants lacked the necessary resources to properly isolate themselves. We also identified a significant lack of testing, with only 1% of the population tested and 6% of respondents unable to be tested despite their doctor's recommendation. We developed a generalized linear model to identify the variables that were correlated with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result. Using this model, we estimated an average of 5% for SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in the Spanish population during the time of the study. A seroprevalence study carried out later by the Spanish Ministry of Health reported a similar level of disease prevalence (5%).ConclusionsLarge-scale online population surveys, distributed via social media and online messaging platforms, can be an effective, cheap, and fast tool to assess the impact and prevalence of an infectious disease in the context of a pandemic, particularly when there is a scarcity of official data and limited testing capacity.
| S-EPMC7485997 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Since the appearance of the first case of COVID-19 in Morocco on March, 02, 2020, the cumulative number of reported infectious cases continues to increase and, up to date, the peak-time of infection is not reached yet. In this study, we propose a Susceptible-Asymptomatic-Infectious deterministic model to evaluate the impact of compulsory containment imposed in Morocco on March, 21 on the spread of COVID-19 epidemic across the country. The model takes account of the unconfined individuals that continue to work or to leave their home for urgent needs and the existence of infectious asymptomatic and unreported individuals within susceptible population. Furthermore, the model is able to predict the peak-size, peak-time, final size and epidemic duration according to different rates of containment. Advanced knowledge of these details will be of great interest to establish an optimal plan-of-action to control or eradicate the epidemic. Indeed, mitigating and delaying the epidemic peak allow the official health authorities to anticipate and control the spread of COVID-19. Moreover, prediction of the epidemic duration can help the government to predict the end time of containment to avoid consequent social-economic damages as well. Using our model, the basic reproduction number R 0 is estimated to be 2.9949, with CI(2.6729-3.1485), reflecting a high speed of spread of the epidemic. The model shows that the compulsory containment can be efficient if more than 73% of population are confined. In the absence of other efficient measure of control, even with 90% of containment, the end-time is estimated to happen on July, 4, 2020 with 7558 final cumulative cases. Furthermore, a threshold value of containment rate, below which the epidemic duration is postponed, has been determined. Finally, the sensitivity analysis is performed and showed that the COVID-19 dynamics strongly depends on the asymptomatic duration as well as the contact and containment rates. Our previsions can help the government to adjust its plan-of-action to fight the disease and to face the social-economic shock induced by the containment.
| S-EPMC7442897 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Since the onset of COVID-19, studies suggest a significant increase in online gambling, potentially facilitated by increased time at home, social isolation and boredom. This study aimed to address what is known about the impact of the pandemic on gambling behaviour by conducting a mapping review. A systematic literature search was conducted using four online databases. Additional studies were identified using reference lists. Relevant studies were quality scored and their findings synthesised in terms of overall changes at the population level and potentially vulnerable groups. The weight of evidence from 35 relevant reports across 12 countries indicated reductions of gambling during the pandemic at the level of the general population. However, marked increases in gambling amongst vulnerable sub-populations including amongst young adults and people with pre-existing at-risk gambling were also noted. The impact of COVID-19 on gambling is highly contingent on context. If policy makers examine only population level data, this could overlook profound negative effects identified in those with at-risk gambling, gambling disorder, and amongst young adults.
| S-EPMC9617674 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe damage to the Chinese cruise market since 2020. It is crucial for the local government to reformulate the subsidy policy to respond to the changing environment. We propose a cruise supply chain system to investigate the choice of subsidy recipients and the setting of optimal subsidy levels with a budget-constrained government during the access restriction period and post-epidemic period. We find that in both periods, as long as the subsidy achieves the optimal level, either the cruise lines, the travel agency, or the passengers as recipients of the subsidy policy can maximize the market demand and recover the cruise market after the COVID-19 outbreak. However, as the budget increases, subsidizing passengers can improve the "low price dilemma" of the Chinese cruise market. Compared with the access restriction period, the local government should adjust the subsidy level in the post-epidemic period. Interestingly, the subsidy policy does not always positively impact the international cruise line's profit in the post-epidemic period.
| S-EPMC9345325 | biostudies-literature
Project description:COVID-19 case was first identified in Canada on January 25, 2020, on a Toronto resident who had travelled to Wuhan China, and not long after, the WHO declared the viral infection a pandemic. Ontario health West created an online self-assessment portal that allowed individuals in the health region and adjourning areas to report any COVID related symptoms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility and usefulness of the Ontario Heath West online COVID-19 self-assessment portal. Record level data obtained from the Ontario Health West self-assessment portal was analyzed. Descriptive statistics using charts and graphs were used to characterize the distribution of responses to the portal. In-depth analysis using correlation, lead-lag analysis, and trend comparison with actual Government of Ontario COVID-19 cases for the region were also conducted. A total of 34,144 distinct responses were recorded on the portal between April 10 and July 29, 2020, with 1,250 (3.7%) responding positively to one of the emergency symptoms questions. Trend analysis showed a peak portal response in May 2020 with a smaller rise subsequently in July 2020, coinciding with the actual COVID-19 peak in the region. The five most reported symptoms on the portal were sore throat (17.2%), headache (12.9%), fatigue (12.3%), digestive problems (12.2%) and cough (9.1%). For four sub-regions, the trend of self-report on the portal positively lagged actual Public Health Ontario reported COVID-19 cases, while for one sub-region, the trend positively led the actual Public Health Ontario reported COVID-19 cases for the area. We found correlation between online COVID-19 self- assessment data and the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Southwestern region of Ontario. Trends in the COVID-19 associated emergency symptoms reported on the portal also tracked confirmed COVID-19 cases in the community. Peak response to the portal coincided with the peak volume of confirmed cases in Ontario during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, suggesting some consistency between the experiences of portal users and patterns of COVID-19 illness in the community. The portal was a useful tool at the person-level because it provided guidance to individuals about how to access appropriate health services according to the symptoms that they reported and connected them with primary care, reducing unnecessary visit to health facilities for COVID-19 related care.
| S-EPMC9156693 | biostudies-literature