Many research studies in the gambling field rely on self-reported data. However, past research has found that gamblers tend to report their gambling losses inaccurately. Some gamblers may overestimate their losses. Other gamblers may underestimate their losses. Behavioural tracking data from casinos and online gambling sites can provide more objective estimate of how much money a gambler has spent. To date, only one study has compared self-reported losses and actual losses. The present study compared self-reported gambling data (i.e., money gamblers claimed they had spent gambling) to objective data (i.e., actual money spent gambling) from the same individuals.
