RESEARCH QUESTION
How effective are responsible gambling features on an electronic gaming machine?
PURPOSE
The prevalence rate of problem and pathological gambling ranges from 1 to 3% of the adult population. Electronic gaming machines are highly addictive and widely available; therefore, these machines contribute to the high prevalence of pathological gambling. In an effort to reduce the prevalence of pathological gambling, responsible gambling measures have been put in place that limit or slow the rate of slot machine gambling to affordable levels. Research has identified certain structural characteristics of electronic gaming machines that could be altered to reduce the addictiveness of electronic gaming machines. One company has released a “Blue Gum” electronic gaming machine that includes several features of responsible gambling including responsible gambling messages, a bank meter that allows gamblers to set aside a portion of winnings, an alarm clock, demo mode play which allows continued play without inserting money and the option to donate a portion of winnings to charity. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of the five Blue Gum electronic gaming machine responsible gambling features.
HYPOTHESIS
None stated.
PARTICIPANTS
Participants were 300 gamblers attending five casinos in the Gold Coast, Australia. Participants’ average ages at the five venues ranged from 50 to 59 years, and approximately 53% of participants were male. Approximately 5% of participants were classified as problem gamblers.
PROCEDURE
Two Blue Gum gaming machines were located in each of the five casinos. Research assistants approached patrons playing (or having played) the modified machines. Participants were interviewed and completed a set of questionnaires. Data collection continued for four weeks.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Participants were interviewed regarding demographics, gambling behaviour, knowledge of responsible gambling features, and attitudes about the responsible gambling features. The Problem Gambling Severity Index was used to assess problem gambling severity. This 9-item self-report measure classifies respondents as non-problem gamblers, low-risk, moderate risk, or problem gamblers.
KEY RESULTS
Overall, approximately two thirds of the sample (62%) had noticed the new responsible gambling characteristics on the Blue Gum electronic gaming machine. The moderate-risk and problem gamblers were more likely to report having noticed the responsible gambling features than were the non-problem gamblers. The charity donation option was the most noticeable feature, with 70% of participants indicating that they had noticed it, but only about half of participants stated that they understood its purpose. Only 22% of participants noticed the responsible gambling messages on the machines, and only 7% of participants said that they thought the messages made them stop and think about their behaviour. Only 16% of participants used the demo play feature, in which they could continue to play without spending money. Most participants (61%) did not notice the bank meter feature, and only a quarter of participants understood the feature. Approximately 30% of moderate-risk and problem gamblers stated that the bank meter feature would influence them to stop gambling earlier compared to only 16% of the non-problem and low-risk gamblers. Although approximately half of participants noticed the alarm clock feature, only 6% used it.
LIMITATIONS
Results are based on participants self-report and may not reflect their actual behaviour.
CONCLUSIONS
Although most participants noticed at least one of the responsible gambling features on the Blue Gum machines, only a small proportion of participants choose to use those features. The alarm clock and messages were not popular or effective responsible gambling features, but the charity donation, bank meter and demo mode were utilized by some participants. The responsible gambling features did not appear to influence gamblers’ enjoyment of play, with the exception of the gambling messages which reduced enjoyment for some players. The results of this study suggest that researchers and policy-makers could continue to develop responsible gambling features aimed at minimizing harm associated with excessive electronic gaming machine play.
