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Impact of Warning Pop-Up Messages on the Gambling Behavior, Craving, and Cognitions of Online Gamblers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

ABSTRACT: Background: Many features of Internet gambling may impact problem severity, particularly for vulnerable populations (availability, anonymity, a convenience and ease of play, digital forms of payment, and a higher level of immersion). To prevent the risks associated with excessive gambling and to inform gamblers, we need responsible gambling strategies. Gambling-related warning messages are one possible strategy that can help minimizing gambling-related harm. Methods: Our experimental study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of self-appraisal and informative pop-up messages compared to a control condition (blank pop-up messages), for both at-risk (ARG) and low risk/non-problem Internet gamblers (LR/NPG) according to their favorite type of game, in a semi naturalistic setting and with a 15-day follow-up. During the experimental session, participants were invited to gamble on their favorite website with their own money in the laboratory. Effectiveness was investigated through the impact of pop-ups on gambling behavior (money wagered and time spent), craving, cognitive distortions, and gambling experience, taking into account message recall. We analyzed data from 58 participants, playing preferentially either to skill and chance bank games (sports betting, horse race betting) and skill and chance social games (poker). Results: We observed a significant decrease in the illusion of control for ARG in the informative pop-up condition at the 15-day follow-up. A significant effect of self-appraisal pop-ups compared to blank pop-up messages was also demonstrated only for sport and horse bettors, with a decrease on time spent gambling and an increase of gambling-related expectancies at the follow-up. Finally, we also observed that a majority of the participants were disturbed and irritated by pop-ups during their gambling session. Conclusions: The results of our study demonstrated the limited impact of pop-up warning messages on gambling behavior and cognition in Internet gamblers according to the type of game and the status of gamblers. The limited impact of warning messages on gambling behavior and the inconvenience of the pop-ups for Internet gamblers lead us to only consider warning messages as one piece of a larger responsible gambling strategy. Trial Registration Number: NCT01789580 on February 12, 2013.

SUBMITTER: Caillon J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8343068 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Wagering inducements are part of loyalty/reward programs implemented by online gambling operators to retain or attract consumers. They constitute incentives to bet that are offered to gamblers provided that they perform certain betting-related activities. They are often considered risk factors for gambling problems, but studies exploring the actual impacts of such incentives are scarce. The objective of the present study was to assess the actual impact of wagering inducements on gambling behaviors, cognitions, and emotions of online gamblers. One hundred seventy-one adults (18-65 years old) who gamble on a regular basis on the Internet, including at-risk and recreational gamblers, were recruited through media announcements and in panels from survey institutes. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions, in which a defined amount of money was given to the gambler with a bank e-card system during an experimental gambling session to simulate a wagering inducement (€10, €50, €100, or €200), or the control condition, in which no incentive was given. The experimental gambling session was designed to be as natural as possible (participants gambled with their own gambling account and their own money). Participants completed a pretest interview, took part in the experimental gambling session, and then completed a post-test interview. The impact of wagering inducements was estimated on objective (money wagered and time spent gambling during the gambling session) and subjective (cognitive distortions, enjoyment of gambling, loss of control, and respect of usual gambling habits) gambling endpoints that were compared between conditions. Two-thirds of participants reported having already received wagering inducements at some point of their gambling course. Although no effect was demonstrated on time spent gambling, inducements increased money wagered, gambling-related expectancies and perceived loss of control. In particular, it seems that wagering inducements could lead to extreme expenses, especially for at-risk gamblers. This research suggests that regulating wagering inducements could be helpful for prevention and early intervention. Future research on the impacts of wagering inducements is still needed, especially more ecological studies based on behavioral tracking data and studies assessing the differential impacts of various incentive types. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT01789580 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Project description:IntroductionDevelopment of fully internet-based programs could provide a new avenue to improve access to healthcare for problem gamblers. In this project, we aim to assess the efficacy of a web-based cognitive intervention targeting inhibitory control among problem gamblers, using a randomised controlled design. As impaired inhibitory control is involved in self-regulation difficulties in behavioural addictions, it represents a particularly relevant cognitive process to target for an online psychological intervention.Methods and analysisThis will be a single-blinded, randomised, comparative therapeutic web-based, controlled trial. Up to 200 non-treatment seeking adult problem gamblers with a Problem Gambling Severity Index-recent (PGSI-recent) score ≥5 will be included. The intervention will be a computerised cognitive training program targeting inhibitory skills. The comparator, an active control, will be a computerised neutral sensorial program. Both programs will be carried out under similar conditions: biweekly online training for 6 weeks and optional telephone support will be offered to patients for debriefing. The main objective of the study is to assess the clinical efficacy of the online cognitive training program at 6 weeks, measured with the PGSI-recent. The secondary objectives are to assess the efficacy on the gambling behaviour assessed by the account-based gambling data, on the self-reported gambling practice, and on the inhibition performance at the neuropsychological level at 6, 14 and 52 weeks. We will also assess the acceptability of this program and the preferred level of guidance. Data analysis will be in intention-to-treat.Ethics and disseminationThis randomized controlled trial will be executed in compliance with the Helsinki Declaration, and was approved by the local ethics boards (Comité de Protection des Personnes) in October 2017. The findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberNCT03673800.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Individuals who gamble online may be at risk of gambling excessively, but internet gambling also provides a unique opportunity to monitor gambling behavior in real environments which may allow intervention for those who encounter difficulties. OBJECTIVE:The objective of this study was to model the early gambling trajectories of individuals who play online lottery. METHODS:Anonymized gambling-related records of the initial 6 months of 1152 clients of the French national lottery who created their internet gambling accounts between September 2015 and February 2016 were analyzed using a two-step approach that combined growth mixture modeling and latent class analysis. The analysis was based upon behavior indicators of gambling activity (money wagered and number of gambling days) and indicators of gambling problems (breadth of involvement and chasing). Profiles were described based upon the probabilities of following the trajectories that were identified for the four indicators, and upon several covariates (age, gender, deposits, type of play, net losses, voluntary self-exclusion, and Playscan classification-a responsible gambling tool that provides each player with a risk assessment: green for low risk, orange for medium risk and red for high risk). Net losses, voluntary self-exclusion, and Playscan classification were used as external verification of problem gambling. RESULTS:We identified 5 distinct profiles of online lottery gambling. Classes 1 (56.8%), 2 (14.8%) and 3 (13.9%) were characterized by low to medium gambling activity and low values for markers of problem gambling. They displayed low net losses, did not use the voluntary self-exclusion measure, and were classified predominantly with green Playscan tags (range 90%-98%). Class 4 (9.7%) was characterized by medium to high gambling activity, played a higher breadth of game types (range 1-6), and had zero to few chasing episodes. They had high net losses but were classified with green (66%) or orange (25%) Playscan tags and did not use the voluntary self-exclusion measure. Class 5 (4.8%) was characterized by medium to very high gambling activity, played a higher breadth of game types (range 1-17), and had a high number of chasing episodes (range 0-5). They experienced the highest net losses, the highest proportion of orange (32%) and red (39%) tags within the Playscan classification system and represented the only class in which voluntary self-exclusion was present. CONCLUSIONS:Classes 1, 2, 3 may be considered to represent recreational gambling. Class 4 had higher gambling activity and higher breadth of involvement and may be representative of players at risk for future gambling problems. Class 5 stood out in terms of much higher gambling activity and breadth of involvement, and the presence of chasing behavior. Individuals in classes 4 and 5 may benefit from early preventive measures.

Project description:OBJECTIVES:Gambling characteristics are factors that could influence problem gambling development. The aim of this study was to identify a typology of gamblers to frame risky behaviour based on gambling characteristics (age of initiation/of problem gambling, type of gambling: pure chance/chance with pseudoskills/chance with elements of skill, gambling online/offline, amount wagered monthly) and to investigate clinical factors associated with these different profiles in a large representative sample of gamblers. DESIGN AND SETTING:The study is a cross-sectional analysis to the baseline data of the french JEU cohort study (study protocol : Challet-Bouju et al, 2014). Recruitment (April 2009 to September 2011) involved clinicians and researchers from seven institutions that offer care for or conduct research on problem gamblers (PG). Participants were recruited in gambling places, and in care centres. Only participants who reported gambling in the previous year between 18 and 65 years old were included.Participants gave their written informed consent, it was approved by the French Research Ethics Committee. PARTICIPANTS:The participants were 628 gamblers : 256 non-problem gamblers (NPG), 169 problem gamblers without treatment (PGWT) and 203 problem gamblers seeking treatment (PGST). RESULTS:Six clustering models were tested, the one with three clusters displayed a lower classification error rate (7.92%) and was better suited to clinical interpretation : 'Early Onset and Short Course' (47.5%), 'Early Onset and Long Course' (35%) and 'Late Onset and Short Course' (17.5%). Gambling characteristics differed significantly between the three clusters. CONCLUSIONS:We defined clusters through the analysis of gambling variables, easy to identify, by psychiatrists or by physicians in primary care. Simple screening concerning these gambling characteristics could be constructed to prevent and to help PG identification. It is important to consider gambling characteristics : policy measures targeting gambling characteristics may reduce the risk of PG or minimise harm from gambling. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:NCT01207674 (ClinicalTrials.gov); Results.

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Impact of Warning Pop-Up Messages on the Gambling Behavior, Craving, and Cognitions of Online Gamblers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

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