It could be argued that online gambling is as addictive as land-based gambling. Some researchers even claim that online gambling increases access and can lead to more serious, negative outcomes. Many studies have started to investigate players’ behaviour patterns in order to come up with certain indicators for problematic gambling. For example, previous research attempted to understand gambler’s self-exclusion behaviour. Self-exclusion is a preventative option that allows gamblers to bar themselves from participating in any further gambling activities in a casino. In online gambling, self-exclusion often means closing the gambling account. Self-exclusion is used as an indicator of problem gambling since many gamblers who choose to self-exclude are those with gambling problems. Gamblers may also choose to self-exclude for other reasons, such as not being satisfied with the gambling website. Another behaviour pattern is related to payment. Research has started to explore players’ payment data (for example, the number of times they withdraw or deposit money) to see whether it is indicative of problematic gambling. These studies often show that problem gamblers have distinctive payment behaviours before they choose to self-exclude (e.g., spending more money or making larger bets). Thus, this study tested if payment behaviours could predict self-exclusion. It also investigated whether differences existed between active players (controls who do not self-exclude) and self-excluders in their payment behaviours.
