Simulated Gambling: An Explorative Study Based on a Representative Survey

Gambling usually involves wagering real money but can also be conducted with virtual money, chips, or coins. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as simulated gambling, social gambling, or play money gambling. This study explores correlations and transitions between simulated gambling and real money gambling with an emphasis on gambling-related harms and public health concerns. The analysis is based on a national representative survey of 46,136 German Internet users which included 5,191 real money online gamblers (RMG), 54% of whom had also participated in simulated gambling (SG). The data set is divided into subsamples based on participation in SG to carve out significant differences in these groups in regard to various socio demographics, gambling patterns, and gambling problems. Regression models are used to predict RMG frequency, participation in SG, SG participation frequency, and problem gambling. The results show a clear proximity between SG and RMG with 17% of the total sample and 54% of problem gamblers reporting being "quite sure" or "certain" that simulated gambling had led them to gambling with real money. While 7% of individuals that engaged exclusively in RMG showed gambling problems, the rate is 33% for those that engaged in both RMG and SG. Regression results provide further evidence of a relationship between SG and problem gambling, although with differing effect sizes for different game forms. We argue that SG can be both a substitute and a primer for RMG, especially for problem gamblers.

Online Gambling Practices and Related Problems in Five European Countries: Findings from the Electronic Gam(bl)ing Multinational Empirical Survey (E-GAMES) Project

Online gambling has demonstrated a significant and growing impact on overall gambling involvement. To examine online gambling practices and associated problems, we conducted surveys with national samples of Internet users in several European countries. The objective of this paper is to provide a portrait of online gambling practices and problems in five European countries (i.e., France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Poland) with different online gambling regulatory systems. This paper is the first presenting national comparisons of online gambling practices. Participants reported on their gameplay patterns, demographic characteristics, gambling-related problems, gambling frequency, average spending on different online gambling activities, and offline gambling participation over the past 12 months. The Problem Gambling Severity Index was used to assess the severity of gambling problems in relation to online gambling (Ferris & Wynne, 2001 in The Canadian Problem Gambling Index: Final report, Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, 2001). Pairwise logistic regressions examined the association between problem gambling and sociodemographic variables as well as gambling patterns and problem gambling. In all countries except Italy, the most popular online gambling activity was lotteries with nearly three quarters of participants reporting participation. The prevalence of at-risk and problem gambling was high in all countries with Poland reporting the highest prevalence and Switzerland the lowest. Gamblers who participated in gambling activities other than lottery were more likely to experience gambling-related problems. The rates in the present study are well above the levels usually found in surveys. High online gambling frequency, high spending, and participation in multiple online gambling activities were significantly associated with experiencing gambling-related problems.

Using machine learning to retrospectively predict self-reported gambling problems in Quebec

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Participating in online gambling is associated with an increased risk for experiencing gambling-related harms, driving calls for more effective, personalized harm prevention initiatives. Such initiatives depend on the development of models capable of detecting at-risk online gamblers. We aimed to determine whether machine learning algorithms can use site data to detect retrospectively at-risk online gamblers indicated by the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI).

DESIGN

Exploratory comparison of six prominent supervised machine learning methods (decision trees, random forests, K-nearest neighbours, logistic regressions, artificial neural networks and support vector machines) to predict problem gambling risk levels reported on the PGSI.

SETTING

Lotoquebec.com (formerly espacejeux.com), an online gambling platform operated by Loto-Québec (a provincial Crown Corporation) in Quebec, Canada.

PARTICIPANTS

N = 9145 adults (18+) who completed the survey measure and placed at least one bet using real money on the site.

MEASUREMENTS

Participants completed the PGSI, a self-report questionnaire with validated cut-offs denoting a moderate-to-high-risk (PGSI 5+) or high-risk (PGSI 8+) for experiencing past-year gambling-related problems. Participants agreed to release additional data about the preceding 12 months from their user accounts. Predictor variables (144) were derived from users' transactions, apparent betting behaviours, listed demographics and use of responsible gambling tools on the platform.

FINDINGS

Our best classification models (random forests) for the PGSI 5+ and 8+ outcome variables accounted for 84.33% (95% CI = 82.24-86.41) and 82.52% (95% CI = 79.96-85.08) of the total area under their receiver operating characteristic curves, respectively. The most important factors in these models included the frequency and variability of participants' betting behaviour and repeat engagement on the site.

CONCLUSIONS

Machine learning algorithms appear to be able to classify at-risk online gamblers using data generated from their use of online gambling platforms. They may enable personalized harm prevention initiatives, but are constrained by trade-offs between their sensitivity and precision.

Pictograms to aid laypeople in identifying the addictiveness of gambling products (PictoGRRed study)

The structural addictive characteristics of gambling products are important targets for prevention, but can be unintuitive to laypeople. In the PictoGRRed (Pictograms for Gambling Risk Reduction) study, we aimed to develop pictograms that illustrate the main addictive characteristics of gambling products and to assess their impact on identifying the addictiveness of gambling products by laypeople. We conducted a three-step study: (1) use of a Delphi consensus method among 56 experts from 13 countries to reach a consensus on the 10 structural addictive characteristics of gambling products to be illustrated by pictograms and their associated definitions, (2) development of 10 pictograms and their definitions, and (3) study in the general population to assess the impact of exposure to the pictograms and their definitions (n = 900). French-speaking experts from the panel assessed the addictiveness of gambling products (n = 25), in which the mean of expert's ratings was considered as the true value. Participants were randomly provided with the pictograms and their definitions, or with a standard slogan, or with neither (control group). We considered the control group as representing the baseline ability of laypeople to assess the addictiveness of gambling products. Each group and the French-speaking experts rated the addictiveness of 14 gambling products. The judgment criterion was the intraclass coefficients (ICCs) between the mean ratings of each group and the experts, reflecting the level of agreement between each group and the experts. Exposure to the pictograms and their definition doubled the ability of laypeople to assess the addictiveness of gambling products compared with that of the group that read a slogan or the control group (ICC = 0.28 vs. 0.14 (Slogan) and 0.14 (Control)). Laypeople have limited awareness of the addictive characteristics of gambling products. The pictograms developed herein represent an innovative tool for universally empowering prevention and for selective prevention.

Spending Money in Free-to-Play Games: Sociodemographic Characteristics, Motives, Impulsivity and Internet Gaming Disorder Specificities

Free-to-Play games (F2P) have spread widely all over the world in recent years. The current economic model for these games is based on microtransactions, where gamers can purchase additional items or services inside the game. The aim of the present study was (1) to describe the profiles and gaming patterns of F2P gamers, and (2) to compare F2P gamers who spend money and those who do not, in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, gaming experience, motivations, impulsivity, and risk of Internet gaming disorder (IGD), in a representative sample of 5062 French online gamers. Among the total sample, 68.6% were past-year F2P gamers. Among the F2P gamers, 26.1% had spent money in the game. Spending in the game was strongly associated with IGD (6.9% of F2P gamers were disordered gamers). Flow (gaming experience) and escape (motivation) were strongly associated with spending in the game and IGD. Negative urgency (impulsivity) was positively associated with spending in the game while positive urgency was positively associated with IGD. Given the strong association between spending in the game and IGD, these results highlight the importance of prevention and regulation in the field.

Experiencing a significant win and its sociodemographic and motivational predictors: A comparative analysis of pure-chance gamblers from Poland and France

Research on the relationship between wins and gambling behavior often focuses on winning considerably large amounts of money. It seems, however, that it is not the amount of the win, but the significance that the player assigns to the win, that exerts a decisive influence on gambling behavior. Therefore, in this study we adopted the concept of significant win: a win perceived by gamblers as important to them. The research aimed to discover what kind of wins are experienced as significant and what factors explain experiencing wins as significant. This study, conducted in Poland (N = 3,143) and France (N = 5,692), also had a comparative goal: discovering intercultural differences in experiencing significant wins. A computer-assisted web survey was administered to gamblers who engaged in pure-chance gambling, where the participant does not influence the outcome of the gamble after the initial bet is placed-selected from representative samples in both countries. We used logistic regression models to examine predictors of significant win experience in both countries and the differences between the countries. The results demonstrated that Polish gamblers more frequently considered a win significant when it was accompanied by strong, often negative emotions and was higher in monetary value normalized in terms of average monthly personal income, than French gamblers. French gamblers more frequently associated a significant win with a positive experience. The common predictors of a significant win experience in both countries were: being in debt, experiencing the win of a close person, gambling in a game of pure chance other than lotteries, more systematic pursuit of gambling, self-enhancement motivation, and coping motivation to gamble. Age at initiation into gambling was a significant predictor only in the French sample, whereas a financial motivation was a significant predictor in the Polish one. The results confirmed that the subjective perception of gambling wins is only partially related to the amounts of wins, which has practical implications for planning prevention strategies.

Where Lies the Harm in Lottery Gambling? A Portrait of Gambling Practices and Associated Problems

Lotteries are one of the most prevalent forms of gambling and generate substantial state revenues. They are also argued to be one of the least harmful forms of gambling. This paper is one of the first to examine exclusive lottery gamblers and compares their gambling patterns and problems as well other associated risky behaviours to those who are not exclusive lottery gamblers. Data were derived from two large surveys conducted with representative adult samples in France (n = 15,635) and Québec (n = 23,896). Participants were separated into two groups: exclusive lottery gamblers (ELGs) and non-exclusive lottery gamblers. Using multivariate analysis, study results reveal that ELGs, who represent two thirds of gamblers, generally exhibit less intensive gambling patterns and are less likely to report other risky behaviours. However, harms associated with moderate risk and problem gambling are found to be concentrated in specific subpopulations for both groups, primarily males, older individuals, and those who report lower income and education level. Given widespread participation in lotteries and concentration of harm within specific subgroups, these findings point to the need for prevention efforts despite the lower levels of harm associated with lottery gambling.

Study protocol for a transversal study to develop a screening model for excessive gambling behaviours on a representative sample of users of French authorised gambling websites

INTRODUCTION

Since the legalisation of online gambling in France in 2010, gambling operators must implement responsible gambling measures to prevent excessive gambling practices. However, actually there is no screening procedure for identifying problematic gamblers. Although several studies have already been performed using several data sets from online gambling operators, the authors deplored several methodological and clinical limits that prevent scientifically validating the existence of problematic gambling behaviour. The aim of this study is to develop a model for screening excessive gambling practices based on the gambling behaviours observed on French gambling websites, coupled with a clinical validation.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The research is divided into three successive stages. All analyses will be performed for each major type of authorised online gambling in France. The first stage aims at defining a typology of users of French authorised gambling websites based on their gambling behaviour. This analysis will be based on data from the Authority for Regulating Online Gambling (ARJEL) and the Française Des Jeux (FDJ). For the second stage aiming at determining a score to predict whether a gambler is problematic or not, we will cross answers from the Canadian Problem Gambling Index with real gambling data. The objective of the third stage is to clinically validate the score previously developed. Results from the screening model will be compared (using sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve, and positive and negative predictive values) with the diagnosis obtained with a telephone clinical interview, including diagnostic criteria for gambling addiction.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study was approved by the local Research Ethics Committee (GNEDS) on 25 March 2015. Results will be presented in national and international conferences, submitted to peer-reviewed journals and will be part of a PhD thesis. A final report with the study results will be presented to the ARJEL, especially the final screening model.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT02415296.

Gambling Patterns and Problems of Gamblers on Licensed and Unlicensed Sites in France

In 2010 France enacted a law to regulate supply and consumption of online gambling. Its primary aim was to protect citizens from gambling-related harm. This study aims to assess differences in gambling patterns and related harm between online gamblers who use licensed versus unlicensed sites. Participants (N = 3860) completed a self-administered online survey on gambling practices. Pairwise logistic regressions examined the association between the legal statuses of gambling sites people patronized and demographic variables and gambling types. Multivariate logistic regression models explored associations between gambling patterns and related problems according to the legal status of sites people have gambled on. Overall, 53.7 % of online gamblers report gambling exclusively on licensed sites. Those who bet on regulated activities on unlicensed sites, versus licensed sites, are more likely to be female, younger, less educated, inactive in the labor market and are more likely to perceive their financial situation to be difficult. Gambling on unlicensed sites is associated with more intense gambling patterns and more gambling-related problems compared to licensed sites. Findings demonstrate that gambling activities carried out on state licensed sites are associated with less overall harm to gamblers. Implications of these findings on future policy are discussed and prospective research directions are outlined.

Jeu problématique en France : une première enquête nationale

Avant l’enquête nationale sur les jeux de hasard et d’argent (JHA) de 2010, la France ne disposait pas de mesure de la prévalence du jeu et du jeu problématique dans la population. Objectif : Cette étude présente un premier portrait des JHA en France, décrivant le profil sociodémographique des joueurs courants, les pratiques de jeu des joueurs dits assidus, c’est-à-dire de joueurs qui jouent fréquemment et qui dépensent beaucoup, ainsi que les associations entre les problèmes de jeu et l’usage de substances psychoactives. Méthodologie : Un module sur les pratiques de JHA fut introduit dans l’enquête nationale Baromètre santé. Lors d’une entrevue téléphonique, les participants répondaient à des questions au sujet de la fréquence à laquelle ils jouent et au sujet de la quantité d’argent qu’ils dépensent au jeu. On a mesuré la gravité des problèmes de jeu en utilisant l’indice canadien de jeu excessif (ICJE) et des mesures sur la consommation de substances psychoactives. Participants : L’enquête générale a été menée en 2010 auprès d’un échantillon représentatif de 25 034 répondants âgés de 18 à 75 ans. Résultats : Les résultats révèlent que près de 12 % de la population générale est constituée de joueurs assidus qui ont joué 52 fois ou plus ou qui ont misé 500 euros ou plus au cours des 12 derniers mois. La proportion de joueurs excessifs parmi les joueurs assidus est estimée à 3,7 % et celle des joueurs à risque modéré à 7,1 %. Ces joueurs problématiques sont plus souvent des hommes issus de milieux socioéconomiques modestes. L’enquête met en évidence une relation significative entre les pratiques de jeu les plus à risque et la consommation problématique d’alcool, de tabac ou de cannabis. Conclusion : L’inclusion d’un ensemble élargi de conduites de jeux de hasard et d’argent à d’autres pratiques de santé assurera une meilleure compréhension des facteurs de risques et de vulnérabilité au jeu problématique.

[Epidemiology of cannabis use]

Cannabis is the most consumed illicit drug in France. Its use concerns especially men, in all social groups. It is mainly consumed by young adults and teenagers. Over the last ten years the consumption of cannabis strongly increased amongst French young people, the rise has been even stronger for regular use. Prevalence use in France has now reached the highest European levels. Cannabis use can lead to a treatment demand and a research will soon allow to screen problematic users in general population in France. The part of the cannabis in the activity of specialised centres for drug addicts progresses. Due to a lack of indicators, the sanitary impact is not well-informed; nevertheless there are presumptions that cannabis is involved in road accidents, cancers and psychiatric pathologies. The cannabis constitutes the main part of the arrests for drug use.

[Addictions in France: current status]

Today, we can draw a picture of addiction behaviours linked to psychoactive products by distinguishing "use" and "problematic use". These are operational terms that imperfectly cover the established concepts of "use", "abuse" and "dependency". Alcohol and tobacco occupy the front place in the field of addictions in France, not only by the levels of consumption but also by the related health harms induced. We can also note a consumption of medicines without prescription among young girls (17.4% of those aged 14 to 18) and a "potentially problematic use" of cannabis among young men (14% of those aged 18). The consumption of other drugs is very marginal and most of health harms induced is due to problematic consumption of opiate drugs and cocaine.

[Recent epidemiologic data on illicit drugs in France: prevalence and health impact of consumption, availability, and product quality]

The main data allowing to draw up a global overview on the phenomenon of illicit drugs come from three main categories of sources: general population survey, institutional statistics and ad hoc monitoring systems. This article briefly describes those sources and identifies the main trends which can come out from these data as regards consumption of illicit drugs, health consequences of this consumption, availability and quality of consumed products.