Gambling Studies

Griffiths, M.D. (2012). Gambling in the cloud: the future of online gaming. World Online Gambling Law Report, 11(3), 4-5.

by Mark Griffiths

Cloud computing is transforming business infrastructure and the way information is accessed online. The potential for... more Cloud computing is transforming business infrastructure and the way information is accessed online. The potential for gambling in the cloud in 2012 is both a very real innovation and a grey area in regards to regulation. Dr. Mark Griffiths, Professor of Gambling Studies at Nottingham Trent University, examines the benefits of cloud computing for the online gaming industry and discusses the early movers, who have already established a cloud computing solution.

Orford, J.F., Griffiths, M.D. & Wardle, H. (2012). What proportion of gambling is problem gambling? Estimates from the 2010 British Gambling Prevalence Survey. International Gambling Studies, in press.

by Mark Griffiths

The paper reports secondary analysis of data from the 2010 British Gambling Prevalence Survey, a household survey of a... more The paper reports secondary analysis of data from the 2010 British Gambling Prevalence Survey, a household survey of a representative sample of the population aged 16 years and over (N = 7756). Responses to questions about frequency of gambling and average monthly spend on each of 15 forms of gambling, and responses to two different problem gambling screens (DSM-IV and PGSI), were used to derive estimates, for each form of gambling separately, of the percentage of (i) all days play (two estimates), and (ii) all spend (four estimates), attributable to problem gamblers. Although these estimates must be treated as approximations only, they demonstrate that problem gamblers make a far greater contribution to total gambling attendances and losses than problem gambling prevalence figures would suggest. There are certain forms of British gambling to which problem gamblers may be contributing as much as 20-30% of all days play and spend, and moderate risk gamblers a possible further 10-20%.

Delfabbro, P.H., King, D.L & Griffiths, M.D. (2012). Behavioural profiling of problem gamblers: A critical review. International Gambling Studies, in press.

by Mark Griffiths

In many countries, there is increasing interest in early intervention strategies to assist people who are experiencing... more In many countries, there is increasing interest in early intervention strategies to assist people who are experiencing gambling-related problems. Central to these discussions is whether it is possible to identify problem gambling and/or risky behaviour in situ before gamblers formally seek assistance. This paper provides a critique of the small published literature relating specifically to behavioural indicators and their practical application. It concludes that, while there is general agreement concerning the range of indicators that could be used, the process of identification remains difficult in practice. Multiple indicators are usually required to make reliable identifications; the nature of indicators will vary depending on the mode of gambling (land-based vs. online), and venue staff employees usually have insufficient opportunity to obtain enough information to make judgments. The potential value of combining behavioural information with electronically-monitored gambling data is discussed as a possible future strategy for enhancing the effectiveness of identification processes.

Demetrovics, Z. & Griffiths, M.D. (2012). Behavioral addictions: Past, present and future. Journal of Behavioral Addiction, 1, 1-2.

by Mark Griffiths

Griffiths, M.D. (2012). Addiction sans drogue, quand le cerveau a le gout de jeu (Special issue: Fantasmes et realities du virtuel), Adolescence, 30(1), 51-55.

by Mark Griffiths

En préambule, je souhaiterais faire un constat : si l’on réunissait une cinquantaine de psychologues dans un même... more En préambule, je souhaiterais faire un constat : si l’on réunissait une cinquantaine de psychologues dans un même lieu, chacun donnerait une définition différente de la dépendance. Je vais donc apporter modestement mon point de vue sur la question. Depuis 1987, je travaille sur la thématique de la dépendance. J’ai commencé par me consacrer aux jeux d’argent, puis progressivement je me suis intéressé aux jeux vidéo et aux jeux sur Internet.

Online Gambling: Offenders Trying to Roll 7's in Binary World

by Art Bowker

Connelly, M. (2010). Wanna Bet? (Interview with Mark Griffiths), Junior Dr, February 5, p.15-19.

by Mark Griffiths

Griffiths, M.D. (2012). Focus sur... Mark GRIFFITHS. Focus (Centre de Référence sur le Jeu Excessif), January 31.

by Mark Griffiths

Nous remercions Mark GRIFFITHS, Directeur de l'unité internationale de recherche sur le jeu à l'Université Trent de... more Nous remercions Mark GRIFFITHS, Directeur de l'unité internationale de recherche sur le jeu à l'Université Trent de Nottingham (Angleterre) d'avoir répondu très aimablement à nos questions sur son activité de chercheur dans le domaine des addictions comportementales et plus spécifiquement du jeu pathologique. Nous avons voulu également donner un FOCUS sur le blog qu'il a ouvert en novembre 2011 et dans lequel il propose des écrits sur les addictions comportementales.

Vietnamese Australian gamblers’ views on luck and winning: Universal versus culture-specific schemas.

by Keis Ohtsuka

Ohtsuka, K., & Ohtsuka, T. (2010). Vietnamese Australian gamblers' views on luck and winning: Universal versus culture-specific schemas. Asian Journal of Gambling Issues and Public Health, 1, 34-46.

This article examines Vietnamese Australian gamblers' views on luck and winning to explore their subjective... more This article examines Vietnamese Australian gamblers' views on luck and winning to explore their subjective perspectives. Illusion of control beliefs have been identified as a predictor of gambling frequency and a risk factor for problem gambling. Culture-specific beliefs regarding luck and winning may further strengthen universal illusion of control beliefs. Twenty-one Vietnamese-Australian gamblers were interviewed with regard to their subjective views of luck and winning at gambling. It was hypothesized that regular gamblers would hold substantial illusion of control beliefs, that culture-specific schemas would be present in their beliefs about gambling outcomes, and that universal schemas commonly found in gamblers from other cultural backgrounds would also be present. The results indicated that Vietnamese Australian gamblers held both universal illusion of control beliefs and some culture-specific beliefs. The implications of culture-specific schemas in reinforcing illusion of control beliefs are discussed.

Key words: culture and gambling, illusion of control, Vietnamese Australian gamblers

An Eight Component Decision-Making Model for Problem Gambling: A Systems Approach to Stimulate Integrative Research

by Andrea Burden

Mentzoni, R.A., Laberg, J.C., Brunborg, G.S., Molde, H. & Griffiths, M.D. (2012). Effects of sequential win occurrence on subsequent gambling behavior and urges. Gambling Research, in press.

by Mark Griffiths

One fundamental type of event widely believed to influence behaviour within gambling sessions is that of winning. This... more One fundamental type of event widely believed to influence behaviour within gambling sessions is that of winning. This study investigated the effect of early versus late big wins on subsequent gambling behaviour. Gender differences were also explored. Undergraduate students (n = 101) were asked to participate in a computerised gambling task with pre-programmed outcomes. Following 50 mandatory trials, participants continued gambling for as long as they liked. There was no effect of the big win’s sequential occurrence on subsequent gambling behaviour or cognitions. However, a gender difference was found. Male participants reported stronger urges to gamble compared to women. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Griffiths, M.D. (2012). Cosa ci dicono realmente gli studi di prevalenza sul gambling? FeDerSerD, 4.

by Mark Griffiths

Gli studi di prevalenza vengono frequentemente utilizzati nel campo degli studi sul gambling e sono spesso visti come... more Gli studi di prevalenza vengono frequentemente utilizzati nel campo degli studi sul gambling e sono spesso visti come gli aspetti salienti delle buone pratiche nel settore. Esistono numerose buone ragioni per ritenere importanti gli studi di prevalenza. In un articolo che ho scritto in collaborazione con il Dr. Richard Wood (GamRes Ltd, Canada) abbiamo specificato alcuni dei benefici degli studi di prevalenza.

Griffiths, M.D. (2012). Can gambling be a transferable skill? i-Gaming Business Affiliate, April/May, p.58.

by Mark Griffiths

A few years ago, following some work I had done for a very well known online gambling company, I was quoted in a... more A few years ago, following some work I had done for a very well known online gambling company, I was quoted in a number of newspapers commenting on how skills learned in poker can be applied in the workplace. I claimed that playing poker could offer lessons for success, even in non-mathematical lines of work. For instance, being given an assignment or a particular team to manage might be akin to playing with the cards that you have been dealt with. Playing with the cards you have is a winning strategy in poker. And top poker players are insatiable in their desire to win. Being this focused is an important leadership skill in the workplace. Then there's the art of deception, not normally seen as a desirable skill, but in poker it's all part of the game. In many workplace situations the ability to get away with white lies, to save face or be diplomatic, or to smooth over or disguise mistakes and errors, is a big advantage.

Griffiths, M.D. (2012). First person (The psychological impact of winning the lottery), Nottingham Post, January 26, p.5.

by Mark Griffiths

Most of us have probably wondered what we would do if we ever won the lottery, but the sad fact is that almost all of... more Most of us have probably wondered what we would do if we ever won the lottery, but the sad fact is that almost all of us won’t ever win even if we play the lottery every week for the rest of our lives. Conventional wisdom says that big jackpot winners will have a long life of everlasting happiness. However, research studies have found that lottery winners are ecstatically happy for a brief period but then settle back to their ‘normal’ level of happiness or unhappiness. This is because happiness is relative. Psychologists who study happiness say that everyone has a certain level of ‘inner’ happiness that stays relatively constant but can be changed by particular events that make you happy (e.g., winning the lottery) or sad (the death of someone close).

Auer, M. & Griffiths, M.D. (2012). Theoretical loss and gambling intensity: A simulation study. Gaming Law Review and Economics, in press.

by Mark Griffiths

Many recent studies of internet gambling—particularly those that have analysed behavioural tracking data—have used... more Many recent studies of internet gambling—particularly those that have analysed behavioural tracking data—have used variables such as ‘bet size’ and ‘number of games played’ as proxy measures for ‘gambling intensity.’ In this paper, it is argued that the best and most stable measure for Gambling Intensity is the ‘Theoretical Loss’ (a product of total bet size and house advantage). In the long run, Theoretical Loss corresponds with the Gross Gaming Revenue generated by commercial gaming operators. For shorter periods of time, Theoretical Loss is the most stable measure of gambling intensity as it is not distorted by gamblers’ occasional wins. Even for single bets, the Theoretical Loss reflects the amount a player is willing to risk. Using a simulation study, with up to 300,000 players playing as many as 13 different games, this paper demonstrates that the bet size and the number of games do not explain the theoretical loss entirely. In fact, there is a large proportion of variance which remains unexplained by measures of ‘bet size’ and ‘number of games’ played. Bet size and the number of games played do not equate to or explain theoretical loss, as neither of these two measures takes into account the house advantage.

King, D.L., Delfabbro, P.H., Derevensky, J. & Griffiths, M.D. (2012). King, D.L., Delfabbro, P.H., Derevensky, J. & Griffiths, M.D. (2012). A review of Australian classification practices for commercial video games featuring simulated gambling. International Gambling Studies, in press.

by Mark Griffiths

This paper reviews Australian classification practices for commercial video games that contain simulated gambling.... more This paper reviews Australian classification practices for commercial video games that contain simulated gambling. According to recent data from the Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification, in the last decade over 100 video games featuring gambling simulations have been classified as suitable for commercial sale to youth in Australia, with 69 of these video games rated ‘PG’ for Parental Guidance Recommended (i.e., suitable for ages 8+ years) and the remaining 33 rated ‘G’ for General (i.e., suitable for all ages). Responsible gambling frameworks suggest the presence of gambling content in video games may present several risks to younger players unfamiliar with how gambling operates. It is argued that there is a need for further academic debate on social responsibility issues of early childhood and adolescent exposure to, and involvement in, simulated gambling activities available in interactive gaming technologies.

Banks, J. and Moxon, D. (2012) 'UIEGA and the Rise and Rise of Gaming and Gambling in the UK', CrimeTalk.

by James Banks

The paper explores gaming and gambling cultures in the UK and US arguing that they are ripe for a renewed sociological... more The paper explores gaming and gambling cultures in the UK and US arguing that they are ripe for a renewed sociological and criminological attention.

Attentional biases among pathological gamblers

by Bjørn Sætrevik

Co-authored with Helge Molde, Ståle Pallesen, Dag K. Hammerborg, Jon C. Laberg and Bjørn-Helge Johnsen

Pictorial stimuli were presented in a Stroop task paradigm that enabled the recording of attentional bias. The sample... more Pictorial stimuli were presented in a Stroop task paradigm that enabled the recording of attentional bias. The sample comprised 33 pathological slot machine gamblers (PG) and 22 control participants. The design of the study had one between-subjects factor – Group (PGs vs control), and two within-subject factors: (1) Stimulus meaning (win-related gambling stimuli vs neutral stimuli) and (2) Exposure (subliminal vs supraliminal). The results supported the notion that the PG group had an attentional bias towards visual win-related gambling stimuli compared with the control group. Furthermore, the degree of attentional bias among the PG group was moderately negatively correlated with net loss in the week before testing. One possible treatment implication of the findings is to include in-vivo exposure sessions as a supplement to cognitive behavioural therapy for gambling. Future studies could also include non-win gambling-related stimuli and should also comprise non-pathological regular gamblers as an additional control group.

Design implications for digital scratch-card games

by Janne Paavilainen

National Urban Prevalence Study of Gambling Behaviour in South Africa (NUPSGB): Summary Data

by Don Ross

With Graham Barr, Peter Collins, Andrew Dellis, Andre Hofmeyr, Harold Kincaid, Jacques Rousseau, Alexander Schuhr, Carla Sharp, Martine Visser and Rudy Vuchinich

The NUPSGB is based on face-to-face interviews, conducted in November and December 2008, with 3,000 adults, randomly... more The NUPSGB is based on face-to-face interviews, conducted in November and December 2008, with 3,000 adults, randomly drawn from the census of households, in the Johannesburg, Tshwane, Cape Town and eThekweni (Durban) metropoles. Previous reports derived from the study analyzed data for Gauteng and Cape Town separately. In this report we cross-tabulate and analyze the aggregate national data.