Assessing the impact of interactive gambling and new technologies

Dr. Sally Gainsbury Centre for Gambling Education and Research, Southern Cross University

10th European Conference on Gambling Studies and Policy Issues

11 September, 2014, Helsinki, Finland

Understanding Internet gambling through research

Or, how research can be used to inform policy and practice

Internet gambling in the 1990s

2000s – Technology & products evolve

• Cheap, fast broadband Internet

• Better graphics and games

• Increased consumer confidence

• New games

2014 – Internet gambling becomes mainstream

• Liberalization

• Mobile

• Increased consumer confidence and trust

Advertising increases awareness

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

2006 2008 2010 2012

Mill

ion

s

Number of televised gambling advertisements (UK)

Internet gambling has become mainstream

Major concerns still exist

1. Participation in gambling will increase

2. Land-based gambling will decrease

3. Youth will gamble online

4. Problem gambling will increase

The Australian experience

2001 Interactive Gambling Act: Prohibition

Wagering & lotteries permitted

2008 Advertising liberalized

The Australian experience

Increase in interactive gambling yield

Increase in international operators

Australian Interactive Gambling Study

Commissioned by Gambling Research Australia

Conducted by Centre for Gambling Education & Research, Southern Cross University

Hing, Gainsbury, Blaszczynski, Wood, Lubman, & Russell

Australian Interactive Gambling Study

1. National telephone prevalence survey (N = 15,006)

2. Online survey (N = 4,594)

3. Interviews with interactive gamblers (N = 81)

4. Data from help-seeking agencies

To determine who, what, when, why and how people are gambling using interactive technology in Australia

Does Internet gambling increase gambling participation?

Prevalence 1999 2011

Gambling participation

82% 64%

Interactive gambling

0.6% 8%

22% reduction in Australians gambling

13 times more people gambling online

Source: National telephone prevalence survey, Productivity Commission

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

LotteryScratchtickets

Racebetting

EGMs Sportsbetting

Keno Casinogames

Poker Bingo Bettingon skillgames

%

2011 1999

Participation in gambling activities 1999 vs. 2011

Source: National telephone prevalence survey, Productivity Commission

Will Internet gambling reduce land-based gambling?

• Internet gamblers are highly involved gamblers, on all forms & modes

20%

48%

11%

22%

0% 20% 40% 60%

Only online

Mostly online

Half online, halfoffline

Mostly offline

Over 2/3rds of Internet gamblers mostly or always gamble online

Source: Online survey

Internet gamblers offline

Majority prefer interactive gambling (55%) or prefer both modes equally (31%)

Source: Online survey

50% started gambling online in or after

Will more young people gamble online?

Internet gamblers are younger than land-based gamblers

• Mean age of interactive gamblers:

37 years – 42 years

• 25 – 39 years – higher rates of Internet gambling

• 20-24 years – higher rates of land-based gambling

Internet gamblers are young-middle age adults

Problematic Internet gambling among youth

• Age not predictive of problem gambling severity

• Younger interactive gamblers higher problem severity

• Treatment seeking Internet gamblers 18-39 years

Young Internet gamblers may be at greater risk for harms

Prevalence of adult problem gambling – Australia 2011

Problem Gambling Severity Index Source: National telephone prevalence survey

36

52

8

4

1

Non-gambler

No problem

Low risk

Moderate risk

Problem gambler

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

%

Interactive gambling not predictive of PG severity

Does Internet gambling cause problems?

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Problem gambler

Moderate risk

Low risk

No problem

Land-based Internet

Interactive gamblers 3 x higher PG rates

Not replicated in online survey

What mode of gambling contributed to your problems?

Source: National telephone prevalence survey N=153 problem & moderate-risk gamblers

Interactive Gamblers Non-Interactive Gamblers

Land-based 58%

Land-based 85%

Computer 26%

Mobile 12%

Over half had problems before gambling online

What gambling activity contributed to your problems?

Source: National telephone prevalence survey N=153 problem & moderate-risk gamblers

Interactive Gamblers Non-Interactive Gamblers

Electronic gaming machines 43%

Electronic gaming machines 50%

Casino table games 15%

Keno 15%

Sports betting 14%

Casino games 12%

Does Internet gambling cause problems?

Problem gambling severity predicted by greater gambling involvement

Are the concerns about Internet gambling valid?

• Participation in gambling will increase?

Internet gambling participation has increased

• Land-based gambling will decrease?

Internet gamblers also gamble offline, but may reduce over time

Are the concerns about Internet gambling valid?

• Youth will gamble online?

Younger generation may prefer Internet gambling

• Problem gambling will increase?

But unique problems may develop

Conclusions • Interactive gambling is a new mode of access

• Changing the impact of gambling?

How research can assist policy

development

Acknowledgments

Collaborators: Nerilee Hing, Alex Russell,

Alex Blaszczynski, Dan Lubman, Robert Wood

Research commissioned by Gambling Research Australia

The views expressed in this presentation are solely those of

the author. The information, views and references material in this presentation are provided solely on the basis that the audience will be responsible for making their own assessment of the information provided

Thank you, questions?

Dr Sally Gainsbury Senior Lecturer

Centre for Gambling Education & Research,

Southern Cross University

Email: sally.gainsbury@scu.edu.au

Website: http://works.bepress.com/sally_gainsbury/

@DrSalGainsbury

Further details • Hing, N., Gainsbury, S., Blaszczynski, A., Wood, R., Lubman, D., Russell, A. (2014). Interactive

Gambling. Report commissioned by Gambling Research Australia. Centre for Gambling Education & Research, Southern Cross University. Available at: http://www.gamblingresearch.org.au/home/interactive+gambling+pdf

• Hing, N., Cherney, L., Blaszczynski, A., Gainsbury, S. M., & Lubman, D. I. (In Press). Do advertising and promotions for online gambling increase gambling consumption? An exploratory study. International Gambling Studies, DOI: 10.1080/14459795.2014.903989

• Gainsbury, S, Russell, A., Hing, N., Wood, R., Lubman, D. & Blaszczynski, A. (In Press). The prevalence and determinants of problem gambling in Australia: Assessing the impact of interactive gambling and new technologies. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. Published online May 2014 DOI: 10.1037/a0036207

• Hing, N., Cherney, L., Gainsbury, S., Lubman, D., Wood, R., & Blaszczynski, A. (In Press). Maintaining and losing control during Internet gambling: A qualitative study of gamblers’ experiences. New Media and Society. Published online January 2014 DOI: 10.1177/1461444814521140

• Gainsbury, S, Russell, A., Hing, N., Wood, R., Lubman, D. &

Blaszczynski, A. (In Press). How the Internet is changing gambling:

Findings from an Australian prevalence survey. Journal of

Gambling Studies. Published online August 2013

DOI: 10.1007/s10899-013-9404-7