Social Explanations of Lottery Play: New Evidence Based on National Survey Data

Buying a Wealthy Dream: Determinants of Rural Residents' Lottery Purchase Behavior in China

The expansion of illicit lottery activities has caused significant harm to both agricultural production and the livelihood of rural residents. An analysis of the factors that influence rural residents' participation in underground lotteries can provide crucial insight for regulating the lottery industry's development. This study examines the present state of rural residents' participation in underground lotteries, investigates the factors that impact their participation using the Double-Hurdle model, and further employs the ISM model to evaluate the correlations and hierarchical structure among the factors, using field survey data collected from 603 rural residents in S Province, China. The findings reveal that 53.07% of the respondents have participated in underground lotteries. Risk preference, information acquisition, social networks, age, education, family burden, percentage of agricultural labor, agricultural business scale, and household income significantly affect whether residents purchase lotteries (WPL). All factors, except the percentage of agricultural labor and agricultural business scale, also significantly impact underground lottery spending (LS). Among the significant influencing factors, rural residents' risk preference is the direct surface factor, whereas agricultural business scale, household income, information acquisition, and social networks are the middle indirect factors, and residents' age, education, family burden, and percentage of agricultural labor are the deep-rooted factors. It is recommended to regulate the lottery industry's development can be achieved by enhancing entertainment and cultural activities, expanding economic opportunities, enhancing rural education, increasing law awareness, and improving the public welfare lottery business model. The conclusions offer a valuable reference point for the standardized development of the lottery industry and the promotion of social stability in rural areas.

The Effect of Inequality and Prosperity on the European Market for Gambling Machines: A Socioeconomic Panel Analysis

This study examines the potential influence of prosperity and inequality on gambling participation in Europe. We combined data from the Eurostat database, the Global Wealth Report, and the European Casino Association and estimated fixed effects panel regression models. We show that income inequality has a negative effect on the number of gambling machines that flattens for high values, while wealth inequality has a linear negative effect. Moreover, an increase in the disposable income of the lower quintiles leads to significant increases in the number of gambling machines per country. These findings are important for future researchers who relate any kind of economic variable to gambling as well as for policy makers, as our results suggest that the lower-income groups should be given the most attention with regards to gambling regulation.

Phenotype of Gambling Disorder Patients with Lotteries as a Preferred Form of Gambling

Lottery gambling can become an addictive behavior which can significantly interfere with daily functioning. The objectives of this work were to estimate the prevalence of lottery gambling, to assess the profile related to this gambling type in a large clinical sample of patients who met criteria for gambling disorder (GD), and to compare this profile with the other two non-strategic forms of gambling (slot-machines and bingo). Sample included n = 3,531 patients consecutively attended for treatment-seeking due to gambling-related problems. All the participants met criteria for GD and were into the range of 18 to 85 years old. Sociodemographic variables, GD severity, psychopathological state, and personality traits were assessed. Statistical comparisons between the groups defined by the patients’ gambling preference (lotteries versus other gambling activities) were conducted, with chi-square test and analysis of variance. The prevalence of lotteries as the only gambling activity was 2.5%, 8.9% for lottery gambling as primary activity with other secondary gambling types, and 20.6% for lotteries as primary or secondary gambling activity. Lottery gambling and bingo gambling were more prevalent among women (bingo included the highest percentage of women). Compared to slot machine gambling, lotteries and bingo grouped older patients and those with later age of onset of the gambling-related problems. Bingo gambling showed the highest psychological distress and the most dysfunctional personality traits. This study shows the high frequency of lottery gambling among treatment-seeking for GD patients, and it provides empirical evidence about the profile associated with this gambling activity compared to other non-strategic gambling forms. The likelihood of lottery gambling is higher for women, patients married or living with a stable partner, and those within higher social position indexes.

Consumer Profile Segmentation in Online Lottery Gambling Utilizing Behavioral Tracking Data from the Portuguese National Lottery

The present study is the first to examine account-based tracking data of Portuguese online lottery players comprising the gambling activity of all active players over a one-year period (N = 154,585). The main research goal was the identification of groups or segments of players by their engagement levels (high, neutral, low) and to assess preferences in product category with the use of CHAID (Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detection) segmentation models, based on expenditure and sociodemographic variables. Findings showed that (1) age was found to be the most influential differentiating variable in player segmentation and had a positive correlation with expenditures and wagers, (2) gender was the second most influential variable (males represented 78.7% of players), (3) education the third most influential variable and had a negative correlation with expenditure, and (4) region was the least relevant variable. The models generated several players segments that engaged in different games. Older males (54–64 years; ≥ 65 years) were the most engaged overall. Younger males (18–34 years) were the least engaged but showed preferences for lotto as did females (35–49 years). Lower educated males and older males (49 years+) with a high school education were the most engaged in instant lottery games. These findings show that Portuguese lottery players can be grouped into several segments with distinct demographic characteristics and corresponding engagement levels. These findings help support more effective marketing segmentation and will help in the targeting of responsible gambling approaches.

Gambling activity in the old-age general population

Old age constitutes a vulnerable stage for developing gambling-related problems. The aims of the study were to identify patterns of gambling habits in elderly participants from the general population, and to assess socio-demographic and clinical variables related to the severity of the gambling behaviours. The sample included N = 361 participants aged in the 50–90 years range. A broad assessment included socio-demographic variables, gambling profile and psychopathological state. The percentage of participants who reported an absence of gambling activities was 35.5 per cent, while 46.0 per cent reported only non-strategic gambling, 2.2 per cent only strategic gambling and 16.3 per cent both non-strategic plus strategic gambling. Gambling form with highest prevalence was lotteries (60.4%), followed by pools (13.9%) and bingo (11.9%). The prevalence of gambling disorder was 1.4 per cent, and 8.0 per cent of participants were at a problematic gambling level. Onset of gambling activities was younger for men, and male participants also reached a higher mean for the bets per gambling-episode and the number of total gambling activities. Risk factors for gambling severity in the sample were not being born in Spain and a higher number of cumulative lifetime life events, and gambling severity was associated with a higher prevalence of tobacco and alcohol abuse and with worse psychopathological state. Results are particularly useful for the development of reliable screening tools and for the design of effective prevention programmes.

Clustering Gambling Disorder Patients with Lotteries as a Preferred Form of Gambling

Few studies have focused on the specific subtype of gamblers who present lotteries as their main gambling problem. This study aimed to explore empirical subgroups of treatment-seeking patients who endorsed lotteries as their preferred form of gambling. The sample included n = 342 patients who were included in two-step cluster analysis procedures using sociodemographic and clinical measures as indicator variables. Three clusters were identified: (a) Cluster 1 (labeled as "severely impaired young men", n = 108, 31.6%) included mainly single young men that were employed, with short disorder duration, high gambling severity and high levels of comorbid psychopathology; (b) Cluster 2 (labeled as "moderate severity and highly functional", n = 120, 35.1%) included patients that were middle-aged, highly educated, married, employed, with high socioeconomic position indexes and functional personality traits; and (c) Cluster 3 (labeled as "older, moderately impaired patients", n = 114, 33.3%) included older patients, the highest percentage of separated or divorced subjects, high unemployment, low socioeconomic status and low levels of education. This study indicates that gambling disorder profiles characterized by lotteries as a preferred form of gambling constitute a heterogeneous group in which distinct, empirically based phenotypes can be identified. These factors should be taken into account for the development of reliable assessment instruments and for the design of effective prevention and treatment programs.