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One of the key features of gambling disorder (GD) is impairment in cognitive-emotional control. Considering the negative consequences of GD, the present study investigated the effectiveness of emotional working memory training (eWMT) in improving cognitive control, attention, working memory capacity, and cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERS) among young adults with GD compared to a placebo group. Following the initial assessment in the pre-test phase, eligible participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: experimental (n = 34) and placebo (n = 30). These groups completed eWMT and a feature matching task for 20 sessions respectively. The post-test and follow-up measures indicated that eWMT significantly improved cognitive control, attention, working memory capacity, and the use of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, but it had no significant effect on adaptive CERS. The promising results of the present study suggest the use of eWMT as a new intervention to improve cognitive-emotional control among individuals with online gambling problems., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethical Approval This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of University Kharazmi (No. IR.KHU.REC.1400.003). Informed Consent All participants provided informed consent. Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest except MDG. MDG’s university has received funding from Norsk Tipping (the gambling operator owned by the Norwegian Government). MDG has received funding for a number of research projects in the area of gambling education for young people, social responsibility in gambling and gambling treatment from Gamble Aware (formerly the Responsibility in Gambling Trust), a charitable body which funds its research program based on donations from the gambling industry. MDG undertakes consultancy for various gambling companies in the area of social responsibility in gambling., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

There is growing evidence that gambling advertising disproportionately affects those experiencing more severe gambling harm. Such association has been studied by recruiting gamblers using online panels, by analysing registered users' data from gambling websites, and through surveys and focus group interviews. However, it is thought that these methods tend to overestimate gambling severity. The present study employed a sample of gamblers with a verified gambling disorder diagnosis (N = 210, 7.1% females, M age = 39.4 years) recruited for a period of under two years at a large public hospital. It examined the relationship between self-reported impact of gambling advertising, gambling preference (strategic versus non-strategic) and gambling modality (online versus in-person). The results indicated that higher perceived impact of gambling advertising predicted higher gambling severity, which supports previous findings obtained from non-clinical settings. However, contrary to what was expected, strategic gambling and online gambling were not associated with higher perceived impact of gambling advertising, even though these groups are believed to be exposed to more gambling marketing and advertising from gambling operators. The study aligns well with available scientific evidence proposing further restrictions on gambling advertising regulation due to their disproportionate impact on those already experiencing gambling harm., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics Approval The research was planned and executed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki of 1975, revised in 2000, and it was approved by the Ethics Committee of Bellvitge University Hospital (Ref: PR338/17-CSI 18/04). All participants provided informed consent and received no monetary compensation for participating. Competing Interests HL-G, RG, FF-A, and SJ-M declare no competing interests. MDG’s university currently has received research funding from Norsk Tipping (the gambling operator owned by the Norwegian Government). MDG has also received funding for a number of research projects in the area of gambling education for young people, social responsibility in gambling and gambling treatment from Gamble Aware (formerly the Responsible Gambling Trust), a charitable body which funds its research program based on donations from the gambling industry. MDG regularly undertakes consultancy for various gambling companies in the area of player protection and social responsibility in gambling., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background and Aims: Unemployment rates are elevated among individuals with disordered gambling, yet the directionality of the relationship remains unclear. The present study investigated paid and unpaid unemployment as risk factors for future gambling disorder (GD)., Methods: The study employed a case-control design, including all adult Norwegians receiving a GD diagnosis within specialist health services from January 2008 to December 2018 (n = 5,131). These individuals were compared with age- and sex-matched controls from the general population (n = 30,164), as well as controls with somatic and psychiatric diagnoses (n = 30,476)., Results: Logistic regressions showed that those in the highest quartile of unpaid unemployment days had more than double the odds (odds ratio [OR] 2.23 (95% CI [1.96, 2.52]) of developing GD compared to those with no unpaid unemployment days. Similarly, higher levels of paid unemployment were also found to increase the odds for GD, with those in the highest quartile having an OR of 1.86 (95% CI [1.50, 2.28]) compared to those with no paid unemployment days. Moreover, an interaction analysis indicated that the association between paid unemployment days and GD was significantly stronger among men compared to women., Conclusions: The present study suggests that both paid and unpaid unemployment constitute risk factors for GD. Programs aiming at obtaining and sustaining work have been found to improve health and future studies should examine if the risk for GD can be similarly mitigated.

A number of scholars have argued that online gambling can be more problematic than land-based gambling. Motivating gamblers to withdraw money from their online gambling account could lower losses because there would be less money available to lose. Therefore, the present study investigated whether personalized messages are an effective way of 'nudging' gamblers to withdraw money from their online gambling account. The authors were given access to a secondary dataset by Nederlandse Loterij (the national Dutch Lottery operator) comprising 4049 online gamblers. Two types of messages were used to 'nudge' gamblers to withdraw money from their gambling account (i.e., a 'winning streak' message and a 'withdrawal' message). The findings indicated that (i) 38% of gamblers reading the 'winning streak' messages withdrew money from their gambling account on the same day, and (ii) 18% of gamblers reading the 'withdrawal' messages withdrew money from their gambling account on the same day. Gamblers who read personalized messages also withdrew larger amounts of money from their gambling accounts compared to gamblers who did not read personalized messages. The findings suggest that the personalized messages can have an impact on both the likelihood to withdraw money as well as the amount of money which was withdrawn and could help reduce gambling-related harm., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Esports gambling has steadily grown in popularity alongside esports itself. While research has been increasing in the field of esports-related gambling, no study has yet reviewed the relevant literature on esports gambling. The present study aimed to comprehensively review all empirical research conducted in the wider field of esports gambling. A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was undertaken using PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Only empirical studies were included and were also assessed for potential biases using the ROBUST guidelines. A total of 30 studies from eight countries were included in the review. Esports gamblers were found more likely to be young males, likely to score high on problematic gambling scales, and likely to belong to households speaking a non-English language at home in English speaking countries. Esports gamblers are a unique type of gambling population, with rare characteristics and behaviors compared to other types of gamblers. Given the limited number of studies, there is a need for further research in this field to understand these populations, as well as the need for longitudinal research., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Research has shown that religion can play a protective role in diverse risky behaviors among young people. However, very little is known about the effect of religion in gambling, especially among young problem gamblers. A strong moral belief regarding gambling may prevent adolescents and young adults engaging in gambling and developing problems. Nevertheless, some evidence suggests that religion might have an influence on gambling cognitive distortions (i.e., some religious beliefs might influence the conceptions of chance and luck, which may contribute to an increase in gambling participation). The present study examined the different effects that religion can have on gambling behavior, in two different cultural contexts (i.e., Portugal and England), characterized by different religious affiliations. A sample (n = 725) comprising Portuguese (n = 312) and English (n = 413) adolescents and young adults completed an online survey. The findings indicated that Portuguese youth were more religious than their English counterparts. Moreover, religiosity was associated with lower gambling engagement among participants in both samples. Mediation analyses also showed that the cognitive distortion of illusion of control mediated the relationship between religiosity and problem gambling among the Portuguese participants, and the interpretative bias was a significant mediator in the English sample. The study's findings suggest that religion can have a protective role on gambling behaviors. However, further research is needed to explore the interactive role of religion and cognitive distortions., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the levels of possible internet addiction, gaming addiction, gambling addiction and associated mental health difficulties in a secondary school population in Ireland., Methods: An online survey containing questions related to internet addiction, gaming addiction, gambling addiction and associated mental health difficulties was administered to secondary school adolescents in Ireland. Participants were self-selecting and answered questions on the characteristics of each topic and screening questionnaires for addiction to each behaviour, as well as their respective effects on mental health., Results: A total of 234 children participated in the survey (156 males; aged 12-18 years; average age of 14.2 years; S.D. 1.60). Internet addiction as assessed using the Chen Internet Addiction Scale was present for between 11.5% and 22.6% and levels of gaming addiction as assessed using by the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form was present for between 0.5% and 1.6%. Weak positive correlations were found between time spent on the internet and time spent gaming with internet addiction and gaming addiction, respectively. There were weak positive correlations between higher internet addiction scores, higher gaming addiction scores, and increased depression and anxiety scores. Using the South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised for Adolescents, two participants were classed as 'at-risk' for gambling addiction and one participant was classed as a problem gambler., Conclusions: The present study examined behavioural addictions and their effects on mental health on a self-selecting sample of schoolchildren at two schools in Ireland. A low number were identified as being at risk or problem gamblers.

In recent years a number of studies have used objective gambling data from online gambling operators to study gambling behavior. A few of these studies have compared gamblers' actual gambling behavior (using account-based tracking data) with their subjective gambling behavior (using responses from survey data). The present study extended previous studies by comparing self-reported money deposited with the actual amount of money deposited. The authors were given access to an anonymized secondary dataset of 1,516 online gamblers from a European online gambling operator. After removing those who had not deposited any money in the previous 30 days, the final sample size for analysis was 639 online gamblers. The results indicated that gamblers were able to estimate fairly accurately how much money they had deposited in the past 30 days. However, the higher the amount of money deposited, the more likely gamblers underestimated the actual amount of money deposited. With respect to age and gender, there were no significant differences between male and female gamblers in their estimation biases. However, a significant age difference was found between those who overestimated and underestimated their deposits, with younger gamblers tending to overestimate their deposits. Providing feedback as to whether the gamblers overestimated or underestimated their deposits did not lead to any additional significant changes in the amount of money deposited when considering the overall reduction in deposits after self-assessment. The implications of the findings are discussed., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Empirical studies have demonstrated the role that attentional bias, the mutual excitatory relationship between attentional bias and craving, and mentalizing play in problem gambling. Although problem gambling rates among older-aged adults have steadily increased in recent years, research studies among this cohort are scarce. The present study is the first to empirically investigate attentional bias, as well as the joint role of attentional bias, craving, and mentalizing among older-aged gamblers., Method: Thirty-six male older-aged gamblers were administered the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), the Gambling Craving Scale (GACS), and the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8) to assess gambling severity, craving levels, and mentalizing, respectively. Participants also performed a modified Posner Task to investigate attentional biases., Results: Hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that among older-aged male gamblers, GACS Anticipation and RFQ-8 Uncertainty about mental states, as well as disengagement bias at 100 ms, significantly predicted gambling severity., Conclusion: The present study provides the first empirical support for the role of attentional bias, craving, and mentalizing among older-aged gambling. More specifically, a difficult in disengaging attention away from gambling, the anticipation of pleasure deriving from gambling, and hypomentalizing predicted gambling severity among older-aged gamblers. The findings make an important contribution, by identifying the factors responsible for problem gambling among this specific age cohort and suggesting that timely interventions for mentalizing and attentional bias may be necessary to prevent problem gambling in old age., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Many items in current problem gambling screens focus on negative consequences of gambling and gambling-related harms. However, few problem gambling screens comprise items that are totally based on actual gambling behavior such as gambling duration, gambling frequency, or gambling late at night. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate the 12-item Online Problem Gambling Behavior Index (OPGBI). A total of 10,000 online Croatian gamblers were administered the OPGBI alongside the nine-item Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), as well as questions regarding types of gambling engaged in and socio-demographic factors. The 12 OPGBI items mainly concern actual gambling behavior. The correlation between OPGBI and PGSI was highly significant ( r = 0.68). Three latent factors in the OPGBI were identified (gambling behavior, limit setting, communication with operator). The three factors all significantly correlated with the PGSI score ( R = 51.8%). The fact that pure gambling behavior related items explained over 50% of the PGSI score strengthens the idea that player tracking could be an important approach in identifying problem gambling.2- = 51.8%). The fact that pure gambling behavior related items explained over 50% of the PGSI score strengthens the idea that player tracking could be an important approach in identifying problem gambling., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The fourth author’s university has received funding from Norsk Tipping (the gambling operator owned by the Norwegian Government). The fourth author has received funding for a number of research projects in the area of gambling education for young people, social responsibility in gambling and gambling treatment from Gamble Aware (formerly the Responsibility in Gambling Trust), a charitable body which funds its research program based on donations from the gambling industry. The first and fourth authors undertake consultancy for various gambling companies in the area of player protection and social responsibility in gambling.

Gambling problems have consistently been linked to suicidality, including suicidal ideation, attempts, and suicide. However, the magnitude of the relationship has varied significantly across studies and the potential causal link between gambling problems and suicidality is currently unclear. A meta-analytic literature review was conducted to (a) synthesize pooled prevalence rates of suicidality among individuals with gambling problems; (b) determine if individuals with gambling problems had an increased likelihood of reporting suicidality compared to individuals without gambling problems; and (c) review evidence on causality and directionality. A search in Web of Science, APA PsycInfo, APA PsycNet, Medline, CINAHL, ProQuest, Embase, and Google Scholar electronic databases identified 107 unique studies ( N = 4,691,899) that were included for review. Studies were included if they were available in any European language and provided sufficient data for the calculation of prevalence rates or effect sizes. Two researchers extracted the data independently using a predefined coding schema that included the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Random-effects meta-analyses yielded pooled prevalence rates of 31.6% (95% CI [29.1%, 34.3%]) for lifetime suicidal ideation and 13.2% (95% CI [11.3%, 15.5%]) for lifetime suicide attempts. Individuals with gambling problems had significantly increased odds of reporting lifetime suicidal ideation ( OR = 2.17, 95% CI [1.90, 2.48]) and lifetime suicide attempts ( OR = 2.81, 95% CI [2.23, 3.54]) compared to individuals without gambling problems. Two studies reported that individuals with pathological gambling had an increased risk of dying by suicide. Metaregression analyses suggested that the risk of study bias was positively related to the prevalence rates of suicidal ideation. Sex proportions were found to moderate the odds of suicidal ideation, but the direction of the effect was inconsistent. For suicide attempts, psychiatric comorbidity and sample size were positively and inversely, respectively, associated with prevalence rates. The synthesis indicates that suicidality is common among individuals with gambling problems and hence should be addressed by help agencies. Inferences on causality and directionality are hampered by a lack of longitudinal studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Fan tokens are a form of cryptocurrency that allow owners to participate in various fan-related experiences such as voting on the music to be played during half-time breaks in sporting events. Since 2020, many elite sport teams have issued fan tokens, allegedly as a way to engage with fans and hear their voice. However, fan tokens also raise some concerns. They are largely gamified digital items that intend to keep fans within the providers' app. Also, they can be traded in exchange platforms, which arguably transform them into collectibles, whose value can vary over time. Here, we explore fan tokens through a case study from a football (soccer) club (i.e., an F.C. Barcelona fan token). Drawing on literature from situational and structural characteristics of gambling, we analyse the gambling-like features that fan tokens include in their product design. Such features are discussed from a public health perspective, comparing what they mean in gambling contexts and how potentially harmful they could be for fan token holders., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Online gambling is a socially acceptable means of entertainment, but it can also have a negative impact on many areas of life and lead to problem gambling for a minority of individuals. In recent years, gambling operators have increasingly implemented responsible gambling tools to help at-risk gamblers control and limit their gambling. One such tool is voluntary self-exclusion (VSE), where gamblers can exclude themselves from the gambling platform for a self-selected period of time. Despite the widespread use of VSE, there are few published studies on the efficacy of VSE among online gamblers and none on whether (and what type of) gamblers return to gambling after self-exclusion and how VSE affects their wagering if they return. Using a secondary dataset, the present study empirically analyzed a real-world sample of 3,203 British online casino players who opted for a VSE between January 2021 and August 2022. Analysis showed that most players who took a short-term VSE (up to 38 days) started gambling again on the platform after their self-exclusion ended, while players who opted for long-term self-exclusion (more than 90 days) did not start gambling again on the platform. A return to the gambling platform after VSE was positively associated with (i) a shorter duration of the self-exclusion, (ii) being female, (iii) gambling on more days, (iv) placing more bets, (v) playing fewer type of games, and (vi) having a lower average number of deposits per day. Players who returned from VSE did not change their wagering compared to a matched control group. These results suggest that short-term VSE may not be as effective as long-term VSE in reducing gambling. Overall, the present findings suggest that gamblers returning from VSE should be closely monitored, especially if the reason for self-exclusion is related to problem gambling., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

In recent years, account-based player tracking data have been utilized as a potential tool to identify problem gambling online and associated markers of harm. One established marker of harm among problem gamblers is chasing losses, and chasing losses is a key criterion for gambling disorder in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Given the paucity of research with respect to chasing losses among online casino players using account-based data, the present study developed five metrics that may be indicative of chasing behavior: These were (i) within-session chasing, (ii) across-session chasing, (iii) across-days chasing, (iv) regular gambling account depletion, and (v) frequent session depositing. The authors were given access by a European online casino to raw data of all players who had placed at least one bet or wagered at least once during December 2021 (N = 16,771 players from the UK, Spain, and Sweden). Results indicated that frequent session depositing reflected chasing losses better than any of the other four metric operationalizations used. While frequent session depositing appears to be more indicative of chasing losses than the other four metrics, all the metrics provide useful information which can be used to help identify problematic gambling behavior online., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: The study investigated ethnicity as a risk factor for gambling disorder (GD), controlling for demographics, citizenship, and years of residency in Norway., Methods: The sample comprised 65,771 individuals from a national patient registry (n = 35,607, age range 18-88 years) and a national social insurance database in Norway (n = 30,164, age rage 18-98 years). The data covered the period from 2008 to 2018., Results: The results showed that when controlling for age and sex, ethnic minorities were overall less likely than those born in Norway to be diagnosed with GD (odds ratio [OR] ranging from 0.293 to 0.698). After controlling for citizenship and years of residency in Norway, the results were reversed and indicated that ethnic minorities were overall more likely to be diagnosed with GD (OR ranging from 1.179 to 3.208)., Conclusion: The results suggest that citizenship and years of residency are important variables to account for when assessing the relationship between ethnicity and being diagnosed with GD. Our results may be explained by people from ethnic minority groups being more likely to experience gambling problems but less likely to seek contact with healthcare services for gambling problems., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Social responsibility and duty of care have become major cornerstones for gambling operators. This has led to the introduction of many different responsible gambling tools such as limit-setting, mandatory play breaks, and personalized messaging. In the present study, the authors were given access to two secondary datasets provided by a German online slots game operator. The first dataset was from an online survey carried out by the gambling operator among 1000 of its players concerning their attitude towards deposit limits as well as self-reported problem gambling. In addition to the survey responses, the authors were given access to a second dataset of account-based data concerning each customer's wagers, wins, monetary deposits, and monetary withdrawals. These datasets were then combined. The majority of players had a positive attitude towards the maximum deposit monthly deposit limit which was introduced by the German State Treaty on Gambling in 2021. Players who disagreed with the maximum monthly deposit limit, deposited significantly more money in the 30 days prior to answering the survey questions compared to players who agreed with the monthly deposit limit. The tracking data found only 7.6% of players had deposited the maximum amount of money allowed in one month. However, 60.5% of players in the survey data said that they did so. Players who said that they continued to gamble after reaching the deposit limit wagered and deposited significantly more money in the 30 days prior to the survey compared to players who said they stopped gambling after reaching the deposit limit. Two-fifths of players said they continued to gamble after reaching the monthly deposit limit (42%). The majority of the players said they chose a personal deposit limit because it helped them to better control their gambling expenditure. A quarter of the players reported gambling problems using the Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen (27%). Self-reported problem gambling was not correlated with depositing, wagering or any other player tracking metric., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

In recent years researchers have emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms as a tool to detect problem gambling online. AI algorithms require a training dataset to learn the patterns of a prespecified group. Problem gambling screens are one method for the collection of the necessary input data to train AI algorithms. The present study's main aim was to identify the most significant behavioral patterns which predict self-reported problem gambling. In order to fulfil the aim, the study analyzed data from a sample of real-world online casino players and matched their self-report (subjective) responses concerning problem gambling with the participants' actual (objective) gambling behavior. More specifically, the authors were given access to the raw data of 1,287 players from a European online gambling casino who answered questions on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) between September 2021 and February 2022. Random forest and gradient boost machine algorithms were trained to predict self-reported problem gambling based on the independent variables (e.g., wagering, depositing, gambling frequency). The random forest model predicted self-reported problem gambling better than gradient boost. Moreover, problem gamblers showed a distinct pattern with respect to their gambling based on the player tracking data. More specifically, problem gamblers lost more money per gambling day, lost more money per gambling session, and deposited money more frequently per gambling session. Problem gamblers also tended to deplete their gambling accounts more frequently compared to non-problem gamblers. A subgroup of problem gamblers identified as being at greater harm (based on their response to PGSI items) showed even higher values with respect to the aforementioned gambling behaviors. The study showed that self-reported problem gambling can be predicted by AI algorithms with high accuracy based on player tracking data., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Player protection has become an important area for the gambling industry over the past decade. A number of gambling regulators now require gambling operators to interact with customers if they suspect they are gambling in a problematic way. The present study provided insight on the impact of personalized feedback interventions (PFIs) on subsequent gambling behavior among a Dutch sample of real-world gamblers. Nederlandse Loterij (the national Dutch Lottery operator) provided access to a secondary dataset comprising tracking data from online casino and sports betting gamblers (N = 2,576) who were contacted either by e-mail or telephone between November 2021 and March 2022 if they showed signs of problematic gambling as identified using behavioral tracking software. Compared to matched controls (n = 369,961 gamblers), Dutch gamblers who received a PFI (via e-mail [n = 1876] or a telephone call [n = 700]) from the gambling operator had a significant reduction in amount of money deposited, amount of money wagered, number of monetary deposits, and time spent gambling in the 30 days after being contacted. Gambling frequency as measured by the number of gambling days did not change significantly after a PFI. Telephone calls did not lead to a significant larger reduction with respect to the aforementioned behavioral metrics. High-intensity players reduced their gambling behavior as frequently as low-intensity players, which means that the intervention's success was independent of gambling intensity. The impact on subsequent gambling was the same across age groups and gender. The results of the present study are of use to many different stakeholder groups including researchers in the gambling studies field and the gambling industry as well as regulators and policymakers who can recommend or enforce that gambling operators utilize responsible gambling tools such as using PFIs to those who may be displaying problematic gambling behaviors as a way of minimizing harm and protecting gamblers., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The risk for suicidal behaviors including suicide ideations and attempts among individuals with gambling disorder (IWGDs) is high compared to the general population. Little is known about the interplay of mood disorders, alcohol use disorders, and suicidal behaviors among IWGDs. The study aimed to determine the prevalence, sociodemographic characteristics, risky behaviors, mental health disorders, and alcohol use disorders associated with suicide behaviors among IWGDs. Studies published between January 1 1995 and September 1 2022 were obtained from following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases. PECOS (population, exposures, comparison, outcome, and study design) criteria were used for selecting studies. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used for assessing risk of bias and rated each study in terms of exposure, outcome, and comparability. After initial assessment of 10,243 papers, a total of 39 studies met the eligibility criteria. Among IWGDs, the findings indicated a life-time pooled prevalence rate of 31% for suicide ideations (95% CI, 23-39%), 17% for suicide plans (95% CI, 0-34%), and 16% for suicide attempts (95% CI, 12-20%). Generally, suicide ideations among IWGDs were associated with having any financial debt and having chronic physical illnesses, as well as experiencing depression, mood disorders, and alcohol use disorders. Suicide attempts among IWGDs were associated with being older and having a childhood history of sexual abuse, as well as experiencing depression, mood disorders and alcohol use disorders. Interventions can help to facilitate seeking support among IWGDs by de-stigmatizing mental health disorders as well as improving the quality of care presented to individuals with psychiatric conditions., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In recent years, gambling has evolved and grown substantially with new gambling activities and facilities being introduced, making gambling products and opportunities more available than ever before in Uganda. While the growth of gambling industry is considered to have a beneficial impact on the economy, it is increasingly becoming a social and public health issue especially among a minority of young people who experience problem gambling, which can damage personal, family, vocational, and academic pursuits. The present study estimated the prevalence of problem gambling and identified the socio-demographic, school, environmental and health risks of problem gambling among secondary school students in Mbarara Municipality, Uganda. A cross-sectional study was conducted among secondary school students in Mbarara Municipality. A total of 921 students from 12 schools were recruited using cluster sampling. An ordinal logistic regression model was used to explore the relationship between problem gambling and the socio-demographic, academic, environmental and health variables. Of 905 participants, 362 reported having ever gambled (40%), and 160 were classified as problem gamblers (17.7%; 44.2% among those who had ever gambled). Problem gambling was significantly associated with being male, being non-religious, other religion (African traditional religion), having employment (outside of school), distance to nearest gambling venue, parental gambling, peer gambling, substance use, risky sexual behavior, and psychological distress. The present study found a very high prevalence of problem gambling among Ugandan secondary school students. Therefore, there is need to institute public health measures towards raising awareness, prevention and treatment of problem gambling among Ugandan adolescents., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

This brief commentary adds to the recent study by paper by Yokomitsu, Kono and Takada (2022). Their study examined social presence in gambling by experimentally investigating the effects of the presence of other people on risky betting among high-risk gamblers. This commentary argues that the paper by Yokomitsu et al. provided a highly selective review on available studies and omitted many of the key studies in the area of social presence and social facilitation in which their findings could have been compared. The commentary also briefly outlines a number of studies that have I co-authored in this area over the past three decades using a variety of different methodologies (e.g., non-participant observation studies, experiments, data mining of account-based tracking data), none of which were mentioned by Yokomitsu et al. despite their clear relevance to this area., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objectives: There are no data relating to gambling advertisements shown during live sporting events in Ireland. The aim of the present study was to analyze gambling advertisements shown during live sporting events broadcast in Ireland and to assess these advertisements for responsible gambling (RG) practices., Methods: Sixty-five live televised sporting events comprising Association Football (soccer), Rugby Union, and Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) matches broadcast in Ireland were analyzed. Pre-match (up to 30 minutes before kick-off), half-time, and post-match (up to 30 minutes after the match has ended) advertisement breaks were analyzed for gambling advertisements, including in-game fixed (static advertising) and dynamic (electronic advertisements changing at regular intervals) pitch-side advertising. Gambling advertisements were studied for evidence of RG practices., Results: A total of 3602 television advertisements, 618 dynamic advertisements, and 394 static advertisements were analyzed. Gambling advertisements were shown in 75.4% ( n = 49) games and were the seventh most commonly televised advertisement shown overall. Gambling advertising was more common in football (fourth most common advertisement) compared to rugby (12th most common) and GAA (13th most common). Static and dynamic gambling advertising were common during football matches (second and first most common advertisements, respectively). The majority of advertisements contained RG messaging, an age limit, and an RG organization. No advertisements showing responsible gambling tools were observed., Conclusions: Gambling advertisements are commonly shown during live televised sporting broadcasts in Ireland, especially during live football matches and typically before the adult television watershed. Gambling legislation is required to minimize harm to vulnerable groups including children.

Background: Marital status is a robust correlate of disordered gambling, but few studies have examined the direction of this association., Methods: The present study used a case-control design by including all adults receiving their first gambling disorder (GD) diagnosis between January 2008 to December 2018 (Norwegian Patient Registry, n = 5,121) and compared them against age and gender matched individuals with other somatic/psychiatric illnesses (Norwegian Patient Registry, n = 27,826) and a random sample from the general population (FD-Trygd database, n = 26,695). The study examined marital status before GD, getting divorced as a risk factor for future GD, and becoming married as a protective factor of future GD., Results: The findings indicated an 8-9 percentage points higher prevalence of unmarried people and about a 5 percentage points higher prevalence of separation/divorce among those that subsequently experienced GD compared to controls. Logistic regressions showed that transition through divorce was associated with higher odds of future GD compared to illness controls (odds ratio [OR] = 2.45, 95% CI [2.06, 2.92]) and the general population (OR = 2.41 [2.02, 2.87]). Logistic regressions also showed that transition through marriage was associated with lower odds of future GD compared to illness controls (OR = 0.62, CI [0.55, 0.70]) and the general population (OR = 0.57, CI [0.50, 0.64])., Conclusions: Social bonds have previously been shown to impact physical and mental health, and the findings of the study emphasize the importance of considering social network history and previous relationship dissolution among individuals with GD., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The present paper provides an overview of the possible risks, harms, and challenges that might arise with the development of the esports field and pose a threat to professional esports players, spectators, bettors and videogame players, including underage players. These include physical and mental health issues, gambling and gambling-like elements associated with videogames and esports, the challenges arising from pursuing a career in esports, the unique difficulties women face, and a need for supporting professional esports players. It briefly discusses possible responses and suggestions regarding how to address and mitigate these negative consequences. It emphasizes the need for cooperation and collaboration between various stakeholders: researchers, policymakers, regulators, the gaming industry, esports organizations, healthcare and treatment providers, educational institutes and the need for further evidence-based information.

In recent years, various novel responsible gambling (RG) tools have been implemented to aid harm-minimization. One such RG tool has been the implementation of enforced mandatory play breaks. Despite many responsible gambling operators using mandatory play breaks, only three previous studies have examined their efficacy and the findings were mixed. Therefore, the present investigation was a large-scale real-world study which was designed to see whether a 60-minute mandatory play break influenced subsequent depositing and wagering. The authors were given access to 27 days of player data prior to the introduction of a mandatory play break and 27 days of player data after the mandatory play break was introduced. The study comprised British online gamblers from Skillonnet (a European online gambling operator). Between July 23 and September 15 (2021), 2,021 players deposited at least ten times or more on a calendar day, at least once. The 2,201 players generated 2,994 corresponding events (i.e., the depositing of money at least 10 times in one day). The percentage of players who stopped depositing money as a consequence of the mandatory play break rose from 27% to 68% on the day of a play break. Moreover, the percentage of players who stopped wagering as a consequence of the mandatory play break rose from 0.1% to 45% on the day of a play break. The findings of the present study demonstrated that a 60-minute mandatory play break impacts players' depositing and wagering immediately after the play break. This means that a mandatory hour-long play break in an online casino setting appears to prevent overspending during a short period of time. The effects of a 60-minute mandatory break on the next day's behavior were inconclusive., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Structural characteristics of games have been regarded as important aspects in the possible development of problematic gambling. The most important factors along with individual susceptibility and risk factors of the individual gambler are the structural characteristics such as the speed and frequency of the game (and more specifically event frequency, bet frequency, event duration, and payout interval). To date, the association between structural characteristics and behavior has not been studied in an online gambling environment. The present study investigated the association between structural characteristics and online gambling behavior in an ecologically valid setting using data from actual gamblers. The authors were given access to data from a large European online gambling operator with players from Germany, Austria, UK, Poland, and Slovenia. The sample comprised 763,490 sessions between November 27, 2020 and April 15, 2021 utilizing data from 43,731 players. A machine learning tree-based algorithm with structural characteristics and session metrics explained 26% of the variance of the number of games played in a session. The results also showed that only 7.7% of the variance in the number of bets placed in a session was explained by the game's structural characteristics alone. The most important structural characteristic with respect to the number of games played in a session was the event frequency of the game followed by the maximum amount won on a single bet in a session., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Protecting gamblers from problematic gambling behavior is a major concern for clinicians, researchers, and gambling regulators. Most gambling operators offer a range of so-called responsible gambling tools to help players better understand and control their gambling behavior. One such tool is voluntary self-exclusion, which allows players to block themselves from gambling for a self-selected period. Using player tracking data from three online gambling platforms operating across six countries, this study empirically investigated the factors that led players to self-exclude. Specifically, the study tested (i) which behavioral features led to future self-exclusion, and (ii) whether monetary gambling intensity features (i.e., amount of stakes, losses, and deposits) additionally improved the prediction. A total of 25,720 online gamblers (13% female; mean age = 39.9 years) were analyzed, of whom 414 (1.61%) had a future self-exclusion. Results showed that higher odds of future self-exclusion across countries was associated with a (i) higher number of previous voluntary limit changes and self-exclusions, (ii) higher number of different payment methods for deposits, (iii) higher average number of deposits per session, and (iv) higher number of different types of games played. In five out of six countries, none of the monetary gambling intensity features appeared to affect the odds of future self-exclusion given the inclusion of the aforementioned behavioral variables. Finally, the study examined whether the identified behavioral variables could be used by machine learning algorithms to predict future self-exclusions and generalize to gambling populations of other countries and operators. Overall, machine learning algorithms were able to generalize to other countries in predicting future self-exclusions., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Gambling Disorder (GD) is a prominent psychiatric disorder affecting individuals worldwide. Research suggests that key risk factors for GD include stressful life events (SLEs) and specific psychological factors, such as gambling-related cognitive distortions. The present study investigated the potential mediating role of specific psychological factors (i.e., gambling-related cognitive distortions, difficulty in emotion regulation, and self-control) in the relationship between SLEs and GD. A cross-sectional study using an online survey was developed to investigate the relationship between SLEs and GD in a mediation model. A total of 516 participants were initially recruited online to the present study, and data from 290 participants were fully included in the statistical analyses conducted. Sociodemographic and gambling-related data were collected in addition to data related to participants' SLEs, GD, gambling-related cognitive distortions, difficulty in emotion regulation, and self-control. The results of the parallel multiple mediation analysis conducted found that gambling-related cognitive distortions and difficulty in emotion regulation mediated the relationship between SLEs events and GD. However, self-control was not found to mediate this relationship. The findings suggest that individuals who experience SLEs may be more vulnerable to the development of GD through their belief in gambling-related cognitive distortions and experience of difficulty regulating their emotions. Implications regarding potential preventive efforts for GD are discussed., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Aim: This study aimed to examine the co-morbidity and temporal relationship between substance abuse disorders (SUDs) and gambling disorder (GD). Method: Cross-tabulated census data were retrieved from the Norwegian Patient Registry. The data included the number of patients by year of first-time incidence of GD and/or SUD diagnoses, age and sex from 2008 to 2017. Results: Approximately 22.5% of GD patients were also diagnosed with SUD, whereas 0.7% of SUD patients were also diagnosed with GD. Among GD patients, males had a greater risk of SUD in the same year compared to females, whereas the risk of SUD a year or more after the onset of GD was greater among females compared to males. Among SUD patients, males had a greater risk of GD in all age categories and across all time periods except among those aged 40-66 years. The risk of GD three to four years after the onset of SUD among those aged 40-66 years was similar between SUD males and females. Discussion: The overall co-morbidity of SUD and GD was low. However, the risk of the other addictive disorder was contingent upon the nature of the first disorder. The risk of SUD among GDs over time was greater among females compared to males. Conclusions: The risk of the other addictive disorder appears to be contingent upon the first addictive disorder. There are sex differences in the risk trajectories of the other addictive disorder over time between GD patients and SUD patients .

The emergence of online gambling has raised concerns about potential gambling-related harm, and various measures have been implemented in order to minimise harm such as identifying and/or predicting potential markers of harm. The present study explored how the nine DSM-5 criteria for gambling disorder can be operationalised in terms of actual online gambling behaviour using account-based gambling tracking data. The authors were given access to an anonymised sample of 982 gamblers registered with an online gambling operator. The data collected for these gamblers consisted of their first three months' gambling activity. The data points included customer service contacts, number of hours spent gambling, number of active days, deposit amounts and frequency, the number of times a responsible gambling tool (such as deposit limit) were removed by the gamblers themselves, number of cancelled withdrawals, number of third-party requests, number of registered credit cards, and frequency of requesting bonuses through customer service (i.e., the number of instances of 'bonus begging'). Using these metrics, most of the DSM-5 criteria for gambling disorder can be operationalized (at least to some extent) using actual transaction data. These metrics were then applied to a sample of online gamblers, and through cluster analysis four types of online gambler based on these metrics (non-problem gamblers, at-risk gamblers, financially vulnerable gamblers, and emotionally vulnerable gamblers) were identified. The present study is the first to examine the application of the DSM-5 criteria of gambling disorder to actual gambling behaviour using online gambling transaction data and suggests ways that gambling operators could identify problem gamblers online without the need for self-report diagnostic screening instruments., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The present study is the first to examine account-based tracking data of Portuguese online lottery players comprising the gambling activity of all active players over a one-year period (N = 154,585). The main research goal was the identification of groups or segments of players by their engagement levels (high, neutral, low) and to assess preferences in product category with the use of CHAID (Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detection) segmentation models, based on expenditure and sociodemographic variables. Findings showed that (1) age was found to be the most influential differentiating variable in player segmentation and had a positive correlation with expenditures and wagers, (2) gender was the second most influential variable (males represented 78.7% of players), (3) education the third most influential variable and had a negative correlation with expenditure, and (4) region was the least relevant variable. The models generated several players segments that engaged in different games. Older males (54-64 years; ≥ 65 years) were the most engaged overall. Younger males (18-34 years) were the least engaged but showed preferences for lotto as did females (35-49 years). Lower educated males and older males (49 years+) with a high school education were the most engaged in instant lottery games. These findings show that Portuguese lottery players can be grouped into several segments with distinct demographic characteristics and corresponding engagement levels. These findings help support more effective marketing segmentation and will help in the targeting of responsible gambling approaches., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In order to protect gamblers, gambling operators have introduced a wide range of responsible gambling (RG) tools. Mandatory play breaks (i.e., forced termination of a gambling session) and personalized feedback about the gambling expenditure are two RG tools that are frequently used. While the motivation behind mandatory play breaks is simple (i.e., gambling operators expect gamblers to reduce their gambling significantly as a result of an enforced break in play), empirical evidence supporting the efficacy of the mandatory breaks is still limited. The present study comprised a real-world experiment with the clientele of Norwegian gambling operator Norsk Tipping. On the Norsk Tipping gambling website, which offers slots, bingo and sports-betting, forced termination occurs if gamblers have played continuously for a one-hour period. The study tested the effect of different lengths of mandatory play breaks (90 s, 5 min, 15 min) on subsequent gambling behavior, as well as the effect of combined personalized feedback concerning money wagered, won, and net win/loss. In total 21,129 online players (61% male; mean age = 47.4 years) experienced at least one play break between April 17 and May 21 (2020) with 156,989 mandatory play breaks in total. Results indicated that a 15-min mandatory play break led to a disproportionately longer voluntary play pause compared to 5-min and 90-s mandatory play breaks. Personalized feedback appeared to have no additional effect on subsequent gambling and none of the mandatory play breaks appeared to affect the increase or decrease in money wagered once players started to gamble again., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Over the past two decades, many problematic/excessive behaviours have increasingly been conceptualized as addictions due to their similarity with more traditional psychoactive substance addictions. The primary aim of the present study was to simultaneously examine the factor structure of three psychoactive substance addictions (alcohol use, cigarette smoking, and substance use) and seven behavioural addictions (sex, social media use, shopping, exercise, online gambling, internet gaming, and internet use), using exploratory factor analysis (EFA; N = 481) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; N = 487). A total of 968 participants completed an online survey including ten psychometric scales assessing the ten different potentially addictive behaviours. EFA supported a two-factor solution, with different factors for the psychoactive substance and behavioural addictions (excluding exercise addiction). CFA supported the two-factor model in a separate sample. There was good support for the concurrent and discriminant validities of the CFA latent factors and the reliability of the behavioural latent factor in the two-factor CFA model. While there was support for the concurrent and discriminant validities of the psychoactive substance latent factor, there was insufficient support for its reliability. The taxonomic, theoretical, and clinical implications of the findings are discussed., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Online gambling has significantly altered the situational and structural characteristics of gambling products, to the extent that online gamblers might be substantially different from traditional offline gamblers. A growing body of literature has identified the evolving features of online gambling and the individuals who engage in it. However, beyond understanding the individual characteristics of this subgroup, relatively less effort has been made to examine whether existing cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) approaches are still entirely relevant for online problem gamblers, or whether changes are needed to adapt according to gambling mode of access. To understand what kind of challenges online gambling poses to mental health professionals dealing with disordered gamblers, four focus groups comprising 28 Spanish participants were carried out. All the treatment providers had ongoing experience with online gamblers undergoing treatment, and included clinical psychologists, mental health social workers, and a medical doctor. The data were examined using thematic analysis. The analysis identified five main themes that characterised online gamblers: (1) being of younger age, (2) lack of conflicts at home and at work/educational centre, rarely presenting violent or aggressive behaviour, (3) gambling disorder only being identified by overdue debt, (4) co-occurring conditions with technology-related abuse rather than other substance-related addictions, and (5) skill-based gambling. The study highlights mental health workers' perceived insecurities about how to best treat online gamblers, and discusses the specific characteristics that CBT for gambling disorder might need to incorporate to adjust for this particular group of gamblers., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Gaming disorder is set to be included in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems alongside other behavioural addictions (gambling disorder) and substance-related addictions. Given the popularity of online gaming, this is set to become an increasingly common presentation to general mental health professionals, addiction specialists, and general practitioners. This article briefly examines online gaming and describes the characteristics of gaming disorder. Some features of online gaming that have addictive potential and similarities to other addictive behaviours such as gambling disorder are discussed. Finally, the article examines treatment options available for gaming disorder and treatment going forward from an Irish perspective.

Background: Gambling activities and associated mental health problems have become a topic of increased concern globally. Many individuals with a severe gambling disorder have gambling-related suicidality. However, no study has explored gambling-related suicide in East African Community (EAC) countries. The present study investigated the press media reporting of gambling-related suicide cases from EAC countries., Methods: As there is no established suicide database in that region, media reports were utilized to collect gambling-related suicide data. Gambling-related suicide case reports were searched for in EAC countries' press media websites using Google. After removing duplicates, a total of 18 suicides were found., Results: The victims were all males aged 16 to 40 years. The most prevalent reason for the death was university students who had used their university tuition fees for gambling and losing the money (n = 4/17). All the suicide deaths were in Kenya (10/18), Uganda (7/18), and Tanzania (1/18). Betting on soccer was the most common type of gambling reported (n = 11/15), and hanging was the most used mode of suicide (n = 10/16)., Conclusions: Based on the press media reports, 18 males were identified as having carried out gambling-related suicides. The countries with the most widespread opportunities to gamble had more gambling-related suicides, although the number of suicides was very small., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The present study explored the topics and sentiment associated with gambling addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic, using topic modeling and sentiment analysis on tweets in English posted between 17-24 th April 2020. The study was exploratory in nature, with its main objective consisting of inductively identifying topics embedded in user-generated content. We found that a five-topic model was the best in representing the data corpus, including: (i) the public's perception of gambling addiction amid the COVID-19 outbreak, (ii) risks and support available for those who stay at home, (iii) the users' interpretation of gambling addiction, (iv) forms of gambling during the pandemic, and (v) gambling advertising and impact on families. Sentiment analysis showed a prevalence of underlying fear, trust, sadness, and anger, across the corpus. Users viewed the pandemic as a driver of problematic gambling behaviors, possibly exposing unprepared individuals and communities to forms of online gambling, with potential long-term consequences and a significant impact on health systems. Despite the limitations of the study, we hypothesize that enhancing the presence of mental health operators and practitioners treating problem gambling on social media might positively impact public mental health and help prevent health services from being overwhelmed, in times when healthcare resources are limited.

Background and Aims: The effect of internet-based psychological treatment for gambling problems has not been previously investigated by meta-analysis. The present study is therefore a quantitative synthesis of studies on the effects of internet-based treatment for gambling problems. Given that effects may vary according to the presence of therapist support and control conditions, it was presumed that subgroup analyses would elucidate such effects., Methods: A systematic search with no time constraints was conducted in PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Two authors independently extracted data using a predefined form, including study quality assessment based on the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Effect sizes were calculated using random-effects models. Heterogeneity was indexed by Cochran's Q and the I 2 statistics. Publication bias was investigated using trim and fill., Results: Thirteen studies were included in the analysis. Random effects models at post-treatment showed significant effects for general gambling symptoms (g = 0.73; 95% CI = 0.43-1.03), gambling frequency (g = 0.29; 95% CI = 0.14-0.45), and amount of money lost gambling (g = 0.19; 95% CI = 0.11-0.27). The corresponding findings at follow-up were g = 1.20 (95% CI = 0.79-1.61), g = 0.36 (95% CI = 0.12-0.60), and g = 0.20 (95% CI = 0.12-0.29) respectively. Subgroup analyses showed that for general gambling symptoms, studies with therapist support yield larger effects than studies without, both post-treatment and at follow-up. Additionally, on general gambling symptoms and gambling frequency, there were lower effect sizes for studies with a control group compared to studies without a control group at follow-up. Studies with higher baseline severity of gambling problems were associated with larger effect sizes at both posttreatment and follow-up than studies with more lenient inclusion criteria concerning gambling problems., Discussion and Conclusions: Internet-based treatment has the potential to reach a large proportion of persons with gambling problems. Results of the meta-analysis suggest that such treatments hold promise as an effective approach. Future studies are encouraged to examine moderators of treatment outcomes, validate treatment effects cross-culturally, and investigate the effects of novel developments such as ecological momentary interventions.

In this study, the differences in behavior between two groups of online gamblers were investigated. The first group comprised individuals who played casino games, and the second group comprised those who bet on sports events. The focal point of the study was on problem gambling, and the objective was to identify and quantify both common and distinct traits that are characteristic to casino and sports problem gamblers. To this end, a set of gamblers from the gaming operator LeoVegas was studied. Each gambler was ascribed two binary variables: one separating casino players from sports bettors, and one indicating whether there was an exclusion related to problem gambling. For each of the four combinations of the two variables, 2500 gamblers were randomly selected for a thorough comparison, resulting in a total of 10,000 participants. The comparison was performed by constructing two predictive models, estimating risk scores using these models, and scrutinizing the risk scores by means of a technique originating from collaborative game theory. The number of cash wagers per active day contributed the most to problem-gambling-related exclusion in the case of sports betting, whereas the volume of money spent contributed the most to this exclusion in the case of casino players. The contribution of the volume of losses per active day was noticeable in the case of both casino players and sports bettors. For casino players, gambling via desktop computers contributed positively to problem-gambling-related exclusion. For sports bettors, it was more concerning when the individual used mobile devices. The number of approved deposits per active day contributed to problem-gambling-related exclusion to a larger extent for sports bettors than casino players. The main conclusion is that the studied explanatory variables contribute differently to problem-gambling-related exclusion among casino players and sports bettors., (© 2020. The Author(s).)

Over the past decade, several studies have investigated the relationship between cognitive distortions and emotion regulation among adolescent gamblers, demonstrating the exacerbating role of alcohol consumption when co-occurring with gambling problems. An important construct, that to date has been largely neglected, is mentalizing (i.e. the ability to reflect on one's own and others' mental states). The aim of the present study was (for the first time) to investigate the relative contribution of mentalization, emotional dysregulation, cognitive distortions, and alcohol consumption among adolescent gamblers. A total of 396 students (69.2% females) aged 14-19 years were recruited from secondary schools in Southern Italy. Assessment measures included the South Oaks Gambling Screen Revised for Adolescents (SOGS-RA), the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), the Gambling Related Cognitions Scale (GRCS), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Regression analysis showed that, along with male gender, the best predictors of adolescent gambling were scores on two GRCS subscales (i.e., 'inability to stop gambling' and 'interpretative bias'), the RFQ-8's 'uncertainty about mental states' dimension, and the DERS 'impulse control difficulties' factor, with the overall model explaining more than one-third of the total variance. The results clearly indicated that, along with gambling-related cognitive distortions, uncertainty about mental states, and difficulties remaining in control of one's behavior when experiencing negative emotions contributed significantly to problematic gambling among adolescents.

Speed of play has been identified as a key structural characteristic in gambling behaviour, where games involving higher playing speeds enhance the experience of gambling. Of interest in the present study is the consistent finding that games with higher event frequencies are preferred by problem gamblers and are associated with more negative gambling outcomes, such as difficulty quitting the game and increased monetary loss. The present study investigated the impact of gambling speed of play on executive control functioning, focusing on how increased speeds of play impact motor response inhibition, and the potential mediating role arousal and dissociative experience play in this relationship. Fifty regular non-problem gamblers took part in a repeated-measures experiment where they gambled with real money on a simulated slot machine across five speed of play conditions. Response inhibition was measured using an embedded Go/No-Go task, where participants had to withhold motor responses, rather than operating the spin button on the slot machine when a specific colour cue was present. Results indicated that response inhibition performance was significantly worse during faster speeds of play, and that the role of arousal in this relationship was independent of any motor priming affect. The implications of these findings for gambling legislation and gambling harm-minimisation approaches are discussed.

Increasing technological advancements and changing consumer behavior has resulted in individuals having access to a wider range of online gambling markets and sporting events than ever before. Sports betting in real time has been aided by the accessibility of smartphone devices. Consequently, the popularity of live sports betting (i.e., 'in-play' betting) has spread across Europe and around the rest of world. The aim of the present exploratory study was to examine attitudes and opinions towards online sports betting. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 17 males and 2 females aged between 21 and 32 years. Participants were asked a range of semi-structured interview questions based on pre-determined topic areas. Socio-demographic data were collected and the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) was used to assess problem gambling. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis in order to identify themes. Analysis of the transcripts identified several notable areas including the ease of engaging in in-play sports betting, motivations for engaging in in-play sports betting (including increased excitement, demonstrating knowledge/skill and response to live odds), and different reasons for using the 'cash-out' feature. The findings will contribute to the design of future research investigating in-play sports betting behaviours.

Online gambling has continued to grow alongside new ways to analyze data using behavioral tracking as a way to enhance consumer protection. A number of studies have analyzed consumers that have used voluntary self-exclusion (VSE) as a proxy measure for problem gambling. However, some scholars have argued that this is a poor proxy for problem gambling. Therefore, the present study examined this issue by analyzing customers (from the gambling operator Unibet ) that have engaged in VSE. The participants comprised of costumers that chose to use the six-month VSE option (n = 7732), and customers that chose to close their Unibet account due to a specific self-reported gambling addiction (n = 141). Almost one-fifth of the customers that used six-month VSE only had gambling activity for less than 24 h (19.15%). Moreover, half of the customers had less than seven days of account registration prior to six-month VSE (50.39%). Customers who use VSE are too different to be treated as a homogenous group and therefore VSE is not a reliable proxy measure for problem gambling. The findings of this research are beneficial for operators, researchers, and policymakers because it provides insight into gambling behavior by analyzing real player behavior using tracking technologies, which is objective and unbiased.

Digital technology allows people to connect and share similar interests across geographical and temporal borders. Two behavioural disorders related to Internet use have been officially recognised as mental health disorders: Gambling Disorder by the American Psychiatric Association and Gaming Disorder by the World Health Organization. The prevalence estimates and risk indicators of developing problems associated with excessive technology use differ considerably across countries. Individual, structural and situational factors need to be taken into consideration when evaluating existing study outcomes. Based on the current evidence base regarding prevention of problematic technology use including gaming and online gambling and reducing harm, whilst paying attention not to overpathologise everyday behaviours, we recommend a multi-stakeholder approach, engaging researchers, clinicians, regulators and government bodies, community organisations and the industry. Implications for clinical practice include engaging in dialogue across experts and using evidence-based treatment approaches to support those in need of professional help., (© 2021 The Authors. Child and Adolescent Mental Health published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.)

Introduction: Children are susceptible to problems with gambling because of developmental and cognitive immaturities, as well as a sensitivity to peer pressure and marketing., Sources of Data: This review uses recent UK data from the Gambling Commission and from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, and evidence from recent reviews of gambling in children and adolescents., Areas of Agreement: The prevalence of gambling in children worldwide and in the UK is stable, having generally decreased since 2013. Online gambling is increasing in children and young people. A small minority of adolescents who gamble develop a gambling disorder. Adolescents who have problems with gambling tend to have lower self-esteem and a history of hyperactivity and impulsivity, are more likely to have parents who gamble, report less parental supervision and to use more alcohol than their peers., Areas of Controversy: Children's access to slot machines, the relationship between gaming and gambling, and social media advertizing of gambling targeting children., Growing Points: An increase in online gambling and in-play sports betting by adolescents and the use of skins betting in video gaming.Areas timely for developing research: impact on young people of betting on e-gaming. How best to protect children from early exposure to gambling in the current internet age., Implications for Clinicians: Need to be aware of the growing and complex phenomenon of gaming and gambling, and implications for the mental health of children and adolescents. The effective management of gambling disorders in children and adolescents requires close working with families., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Sports betting products rely upon a balance between their knowledge and chance based structural characteristics. The emphasis by bookmakers on mastering the knowledge-based elements to become winners poses significant challenges for those seeking help for gambling disorder. Bettors find difficulties in integrating their preconceptions about the role of knowledge and skills in winning, into the new cognitive restructuring fostered by cognitive-behavioural therapy. Using a grounded theory approach, this study collected data from 43 Spanish sports bettors undergoing treatment for gambling disorder. The results suggest sports bettors neutralize some gambling-related cognitive distortions during CBT but retain others. Sports bettors try to eliminate them but encounter external validation to retain them, as well as internal incongruences to integrate them into a coherent understanding of how gambling works. The results are discussed with the aim of providing practical guidance as to how skill versus chance related persistent cognitions can be addressed in CBT.

A large contemporary UK cohort study, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, was used to investigate gambling behavior and to explore the antecedents of regular gambling in the 17-24-year age group. Participants completed computer-administered gambling surveys in research clinics, on paper, and online. The sample sizes were 3566 at age 17 years, 3940 at 20 years, and 3841 at 24 years; only 1672 completed all three surveys. Participation in gambling in the last year was reported by 54% of 17-year-olds, rising to 68% at 20 years, and 66% at 24 years, with little overall variance. Regular (weekly) gambling showed a strong gender effect, increasing among young men from 13% at 17 years to 18% at 20 years, and 17% at 24 years. Although gambling frequency increased between the ages of 17 and 20 years, gambling behaviors showed little variance between 20 and 24 years, except online gambling and betting on horseraces. The commonest forms of gambling were playing scratchcards, playing the lottery, and private betting with friends. Gambling on activities via the internet increased markedly between 17 and 24 years, especially among males. In the fully adjusted model, individual antecedents of regular gambling were being male, and having a low IQ, an external locus of control, and high sensation seeking scores. Parental gambling behavior and maternal educational background were associated with regular gambling in both sexes. Regular gambling was associated with smoking cigarettes and frequent and harmful use of alcohol, but no associations with depression were found.

Betting on sport is one of the fastest developing forms of gambling internationally. Sports betting is attracting considerable scholarly, media, and regulatory attention due to the cultural salience of sport, and the rising public health concerns about the rapid proliferation and penetration of betting products in everyday life. Despite its global expansion, little is known regarding the comparative impact sports betting is having in different territories. This study aims to examine a sample of Australian (n = 738) and Spanish (n = 361) weekly sports bettors to assess their similarities and differences concerning sociodemographic characteristics, channels (i.e., online vs. offline) and devices used, in-play betting, and problem gambling severity. The findings showed high problem gambling scores among sports bettors in both countries, and consistent similarities in the association between problem gambling, in-play betting, and offline betting. Also, clear trends were observed between problem gambling, higher educational level, and female sport betting, particularly in the Australian sample. These results suggest a common pattern of risk factors for problematic sports betting and can help to inform worldwide regulatory efforts to tackle harmful sports betting-specific features such as in-play betting.