This study examined how exposure to improper promotion of sports lottery might lead to gambling-related harm, and whether obsessive passion and problem purchasing behaviour help to explain this relationship. The study also explored whether responsible lottery purchasing beliefs can weaken the relationship. The researchers analyzed survey data from 586 people in China who purchased sports lottery tickets. They found that people who were more exposed to improper promotion of sports lottery reported greater obsessive passion for sports lottery, more problem purchasing behaviour, and more harms from it. These participants also had lower levels of responsible gambling beliefs. Obsessive passion and problem purchasing behaviour helped to explain how exposure to improper promotion could lead to harm. Responsible gambling beliefs weakened the link between exposure to improper promotion and obsessive passion as well as problem purchasing behaviour.
