Responsible Gambling Telephone Intervention to High-Risk Gamblers by a State-Owned Gambling Operator in Sweden: Study Protocol for a Study on Effectiveness, User Satisfaction, and Acceptability

Motivational telephone intervention to risk gamblers by a state-owned gambling operator in Sweden

Background and aims

Few studies have tested the effect of a motivational telephone intervention from a gambling operator to clients with high-risk gambling practices. This study aimed to study subsequent limit setting, self-exclusions and gambling post-intervention, compared to controls.

Methods

The study assessed a motivational, personalized telephone intervention by the state-owned Swedish gambling operator AB Svenska Spel within its subsection of sports, poker, online casino and bingo gambling. Clients successfully reached with the telephone intervention (n = 1,420) were compared to clients who could not be reached (n = 1,504). Gambling practices during 8 weeks pre-intervention were assessed, and outcome measures limit setting, self-exclusion, and gambling 4 weeks post-intervention.

Results

The telephone intervention was associated with increased limit settings (10 vs. 5 percent, p < 0.001), self-exclusions (11 vs. 8 percent, p < 0.01), lowered theoretical losses (p < 0.001), but not significantly associated with gambling abstinence (18 vs. 15 percent, p = 0.07). In unadjusted analyses of sub-groups, significant associations of the intervention with full gambling abstinence were seen in people who gamble on online casino/bingo (19 vs. 14 percent, p < 0.01), but not in sports bettors. In logistic regression, the intervention was not associated with full week 1-4 abstinence.

Conclusion

A personalized motivational telephone intervention to people displaying high-risk gambling, delivered by a gambling operator, is promising, and effects were seen on the uptake of responsible gambling tools post-intervention. Effects may be more pronounced in users of chance-based, online games, than in sports bettors.

Responsible gambling through a motivational telephone intervention to high-risk gamblers - An evaluation of user satisfaction and subjective intervention effects

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Problem gambling causes major social and psychiatric consequences, and there is need to develop feasible harm-reducing or therapeutic interventions. It has been suggested that gambling operators with responsible gambling intentions can intervene in order to identify and help reduce the harm in problem gamblers. However, user satisfaction, and the risk of negative reactions and gamblers' transfer to other operators, rarely have been explored scientifically.

METHODS

This is a retrospective survey study of gamblers reached by a motivational, telephone intervention by the Swedish state-owned gambling operator (Svenska Spel), addressing gamblers with indicators of high-risk gambling practices (n = 197). Surveys were answered approximately 10 days after the intervention.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven percent perceived their gambling to have decreased due to the intervention, whereas 7% perceived their gambling instead had increased. A large majority (80%) reported a subjective favorable experience from the intervention. Forty percent reported gambling on other operators than Svenska Spel after the intervention, but only 7% gambled on a new operator following the intervention.

CONCLUSION

Survey data in gamblers reached with a motivational telephone intervention present mainly promising findings, and should be replicated in future studies in larger samples. The main findings display an overwhelmingly favorable subjective experience, and a limited risk of gamblers migrating to other operators.

Prevalence and Trends in Problem Gambling in Denmark with Special Focus on Country of Origin: Results from the Danish Health and Morbidity Surveys

Belonging to an ethnic minority has been described as a possible risk factor for problem gambling, but the literature is inconclusive whether this association is true or just a proxy for other underlying risk factors. Hence, the aims were to investigate: (1) past year prevalence of problem gambling in the adult Danish population and trends since 2005, (2) past year prevalence of problem gambling in 2017 and trends since 2010 by country of origin, and (3) whether a marginalisation by country of origin or problem gambling, respectively, is seen in various health-related indicators. Data were derived from the Danish Health and Morbidity Surveys in 2005, 2010, 2013, and 2017. The Lie/Bet Questionnaire was used to define problem gamblers. The overall prevalence of past year problem gambling has increased slightly from 2005 (1.0%) to 2017 (1.5%), but a more alarming increase was observed among men with non-western origin (3.1% in 2010 and 7.0% in 2017). A lower prevalence of good self-rated health and a higher prevalence of poor mental health was observed among individuals with a non-western origin compared to those with a Danish origin, although the differences became smaller between 2010 and 2017. The findings indicate a slightly increase in the prevalence of past year problem gambling and that particular attention should be paid to individuals with a non-western origin. The study also highlights the need for better differentiation of risk factors that may variously predispose different ethnic groups to develop gambling problems.