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Gambling prevention & research: From legislation to action. Dorigny-Lausanne 1 – 2 march 2005. The provision of player information: Its effectiveness & impact on excessive gambling. Professor Alex Blaszczynski PhD The University of Sydney Gambling Research Unit. Acknowledgments.
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Gambling prevention & research: From legislation to action Dorigny-Lausanne1 – 2 march 2005 The provision of player information: Its effectiveness & impact on excessive gambling Professor Alex Blaszczynski PhD The University of Sydney Gambling Research Unit
Acknowledgments • Collaborators: • Professor Robert Ladouceur, Laval University, Quebec • Dr. Lia Nower, University of Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri • Australian Gaming Council
Questions • What is responsible gambling? • Industry versus Personal responsibility? • What is informed choice? • What player information is required? • Evidence for effectiveness?
What is responsible gambling & what does it hope to achieve? • Provision of a safe gambling product: • No exploitation • No misleading claims • Does not promote or induce excess • Does not fosters loss of controlor dependence • Objective: • Reduce incidence of problem gambling
Objective of player information: • Primary prevention:to prevent entry into problem gambling&/or change attitudes • Tertiary prevention:regain control & reduce problem gambling
What are the relative responsibilities of individuals & industry in preventing problem gambling? • Individuals retain responsibility over personal choices & decisions • Industry must provide sufficient information for informed choices to be made
Cognitive models of problem gambling • People gamble because of the belief in the possibility of winning • Misunderstanding crucial elements (probabilities) of games of chance leads to: • An overestimate of the chance of winning • Belief that personal skills can influence outcome • Erroneous beliefs regarding independent events & randomness
What is informed choice? • Capacity to choose between options given all relevant information to determine implications & consequences of choice made
What are requirements for informed choice? • Competence • Disclosure/understanding • Relevant • Accurate • Accessible • Full • Timely • Voluntary
What specific player information is required to allow informed choice Categories of information • Warning: gambling may lead to addiction/harm • Counselling services • Operation, characteristics & configuration of games • Attitude shift: recreation versus income • Tracking time & money spent
Is there any evidence player information influences behaviour?
Empirical data • Hing (2004) • Survey to determine awareness, perceived adequacy & effectiveness of responsible gaming initiatives • 86% aware of responsible gaming policy • 67% aware of signs related to chance of winning • 20% reported impact on behaviour
Similar findings reported by: • Steenbergh, Whelan, Meyers, May & Floyd (2004) • Focal Research Nova Scotia (2004) • Interaction between information & motivation to change influences attention to, & absorption of, player information
Does knowledge of statistics & probabilities influence erroneous beliefs? • Behnsain & Ladouceur (2004) • Compared students attending statistics & non-statistics courses • Statistics group more knowledgeable • No difference in rates of erroneous perceptions during play (70% vs 61%) • Implications: cognitions shift during play irrespective of player information
Should information be provided at school? • Two studies evaluated school programs: • Gaboury & Ladouceur (1993) • Improved learning about gambling & coping skills • Failure to translate knowledge into changes in behaviour or attitudes
Should information be provided at school? • Williams, Connolly, Wood et al., (2004) • Statistics vs non-statistics university students • Information did not lead to differences between groups or across time in respect to: • Attitudes • Time or money gambled • Canadian Problem Gambling Index scores
Should information be provided at school? • Williams, Connolly, Wood et al., (2004) • Educational program to Grades 10 & 11 • Improved knowledge, awareness & resistance to gambling fallacies • Reduction in time & money spent gambling
Summary • Simple provision of information & odds is insufficient to effect change • Development of negative attitudes toward gambling is best predictor of decreased gambling behaviour • Education about problem gambling & erroneous cognitions contributing to gambling fallacies is the mechanism through which attitude change is achieved
Balance between marketing & player information • Gaming machines are recreational devices on which you spend money • It is possible to win in the short-term • In the long term, in all but the most unusual cases & extraordinary circumstances, this outcome is virtually impossible
Gambling prevention & research: From legislation to action Dorigny-Lausanne1 – 2 march 2005 The provision of player information: Its effectiveness & impact on excessive gambling Professor Alex Blaszczynski PhD The University of Sydney Gambling Research Unit