A systematic review of educational programs and consumer protection measures for gambling: an extension of previous reviews (original) (raw)
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Identifying effective policy interventions to prevent gambling-related harm
2019
This report has been peer reviewed by two independent researchers. For further information on the foundation's review process of research reports, please see responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au. For information on the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation Research Program visit responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au. Disclaimer The opinions, findings and proposals contained in this report represent the views of the authors and do not necessarily represent the attitudes or opinions of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation or the State of Victoria. No warranty is given as to the accuracy of the information. The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation specifically excludes any liability for any error or inaccuracy in, or omissions from, this document and any loss or damage that you or any other person may suffer.
Program findings that inform curriculum development for the prevention of problem gambling
The development of effective problem gambling prevention programs is in its infancy. The present paper discusses results of randomized control trials of two programs that have been implemented in Alberta, Canada. The first is a 10 session program delivered to several classes of university students taking Introductory Statistics. This program focused primarily on teaching the probabilities associated with gambling and included several hands-on demonstrations of typical casino table games. The second is a 5 session program delivered to high school students at several sites in southern Alberta. This program was more comprehensive, containing information and exercises on the nature of gambling and problem gambling, gambling fallacies, gambling odds, decision-making, coping skills, and social problem-solving skills. Data concerning gambling attitudes, gambling fallacies and gambling behaviour at 3 and 6-months post-intervention are presented. The findings of these studies are somewhat counter-intuitive and have important implications for the design of effective prevention programs.
Avoiding gambling harm: An evidence-based set of safe gambling practices for consumers
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Prior studies have identified self-regulatory strategies that are infrequently used by problemgamblers, but which might be protective if used. However, guidelines with evidence-based safe gambling practices (SGPs) that prevent gambling-related harm are lacking. This study aimed to: 1) identify a parsimonious set of evidence-based SGPs that best predict nonharmful gambling amongst gamblers who are otherwise most susceptible to experiencing gambling harm; 2) examine how widely are they used; and 3) assess whether their use differs by gambler characteristics. A sample of 1,174 regular gamblers in Alberta Canada completed an online survey measuring uptake of 43 potential SGPs, gambling harms and numerous risk factors for harmful gambling. Elastic net regression identified a sub-sample of 577 gamblers most susceptible to gambling harm and therefore most likely to benefit from the uptake of SGPs. A second elastic net predicted gambling harm scores in the sub-sample, using the SGPs as candidate predictors. Nine SGPs best predicted non-harmful gambling amongst this sub-sample. The behaviour most strongly associated with increased harm was using credit to gamble. The behaviour most strongly associated with reduced harm was 'If I'm not having fun gambling, I stop'. These SGPs form the basis of evidencebased safe gambling guidelines which can be: 1) promoted to consumers, 2) form the basis of self-assessment tests, 3) used to measure safe gambling at a population level, and 4) inform supportive changes to policy and practice. The guidelines advise gamblers to: stop if they are not having fun, keep a household budget, keep a dedicated gambling budget, have a fixed amount they can spend, engage in other leisure activities, avoid gambling when upset or depressed, not use credit for gambling, avoid gambling to make money, and not think that strategies can help you win. These guidelines are a promising initiative to help reduce gambling-related harm.
International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 2022
Until now, there has been no evidence-based, specific advice for people who gamble who want to reduce their risk of experiencing gambling harms. This paper presents the results from the first large-scale, comprehensive, international project to develop lower-risk gambling guidelines. Specifically, we calculated relative risk estimates to determine risk of harm across the range of possible limits for gambling frequency, expenditure, and number of types of gambling engaged in; conducted an online survey (n = 4583) of people who gamble to assess whether they understood and found credible the proposed quantitative limits; conducted a series of interviews and focus groups with people who gamble to assess self-control strategies and reactions to proposed quantitative limits; conducted a meta-analysis of problem gambling risk factors in the general population; and consulted with a pan-Canadian, multi-sectoral committee of stakeholders. Project outcomes were examined and deliberated by a working group of scientists who decided upon a set of recommendations for lower-risk gambling. This paper presents these recommendations.
Preventive Gambling Programs for Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Gambling disorder in youth is an emerging public health problem, with adolescents and young adults constituting a vulnerable age group for the development of gambling-related problems. Although research has been conducted on the risk factors for gambling disorder, very few rigorous studies can be found on the efficacy of preventive interventions in young people. The aim of this study was to provide best practice recommendations for the prevention of disordered gambling in adolescents and young adults. We reviewed and synthesized the results of existing RCTs and quasi-experimental studies covering nonpharmacological prevention programs for gambling disorder in young adults and adolescents. We applied the PRISMA 2020 statement and guidelines to identify 1483 studies, of which 32 were included in the systematic review. All studies targeted the educational setting, i.e., high school and university students. Most studies followed a universal prevention strategy, that particularly targete...
Responsible gambling: a synthesis of the empirical evidence
Addiction research & theory, 2016
Many jurisdictions around the world have implemented Responsible Gambling (RG) programs for the purpose of preventing gambling-related harms. Using a research synthesis strategy, this paper examines the extant peer-reviewed empirical evidence underpinning RG strategies. Instead of reporting all available studies and then discarding many on the ground of methodological flaws, we used the following a priori set of inclusion criteria: (1) All studies must have been conducted within real gambling environments with 'real' gamblers; and studies must have included at least one of the following elements: (2) a matched control or comparison group; (3) repeated measures; and (4) one or more measurement scales. The results revealed that only 29 articles met at least one of the methodological criteria. These empirical studies revealed five primary RG strategies. These findings have practical implications for evidence-based implementation of RG activities.
Systematic Review of Empirically Evaluated School-Based Gambling Education Programs
Journal of Gambling Studies, 2016
Adolescent problem gambling prevalence rates are reportedly five times higher than in the adult population. Several school-based gambling education programs have been developed in an attempt to reduce problem gambling among adolescents; however few have been empirically evaluated. The aim of this review was to report the outcome of studies empirically evaluating gambling education programs across international jurisdictions. A systematic review following guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement searching five academic databases: PubMed, Scopus, Medline, PsycINFO, and ERIC, was conducted. A total of 20 papers and 19 studies were included after screening and exclusion criteria were applied. All studies reported intervention effects on cognitive outcomes such as knowledge, perceptions, and beliefs. Only nine of the studies attempted to measure intervention effects on behavioural outcomes, and only five of those reported significant changes in gambling behaviour. Of these five, methodological inadequacies were commonly found including brief follow-up periods, lack of control comparison in post hoc analyses, and inconsistencies and misclassifications in the measurement of gambling behaviour, including problem gambling. Based on this review, recommendations are offered for the future development and evaluation of school-based gambling education programs relating to both methodological and content design and delivery considerations.
Prevention of Problem Gambling: Modifying Misconceptions and Increasing Knowledge
Journal of Gambling Studies, 2002
Research on gambling clearly demonstrates that today's youth are very much involved in gambling activities. As they take part in these activities, young people develop and entertain irrational thoughts about gambling and become at risk for developing severe gambling problems. In this study, a video specifically designed to correct misconceptions and increase knowledge about gambling was tested on 424 grade 7 and 8 students. The effectiveness of the video was evaluated using four different experimental conditions. Findings indicated that the video significantly improved subjects' knowledge about gambling and corrected their misconceptions. The implications of these results for the prevention of gambling problems are discussed.
Last year, the Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RiGT) commissioned Tacade and the International Gaming Research Unit to produce education materials on youth gambling to be used in schools and other youth education settings. This initiative was featured in a previous issue of Education and Health (see Buczkiewicz & Griffiths, 2006) and the project led to the publication of two sets of comprehensive resources (You Bet! and Just Another Game?). Given the investment by RiGT in these educational materials, the obvious questions to ask are whether these - and other similar materials - actually work? Are they cost-effective? How long do any effects last? If there is little evidence of behaviour change, is awareness raising enough?