Responsible gambling information is unreliably and inconsistently provided by casinos

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Author(s): Morelli, Brianna ; Gunnigle, Margaret Anne ; Russell, Lilia M. ; Dow, Chance V. ; Schuetze, Julia G. ; Ginley, Meredith K. ; Whelan, James P. ; Pfund, Rory A.

Journal: Journal of Gambling Studies

Year Published: 2025

Date Added: September 30, 2025

Responsible gambling (RG) information is legally required to be available to casino customers. Yet, consumers report barriers to accessing such information and limited employee knowledge. The researchers used a secret shopper method to explore the accessibility of RG information. Study 1 showed that RG information was unreliably provided over the phone. Study 2 showed that casino employees could provide information about RG and in-casino resources, but few could provide information about online RG resources.

Citation: Morelli, B., Gunnigle, M. A., Russell, L. M., Dow, C. V., Schuetze, J. G., Ginley, M. K., Whelan, J. P., & Pfund, R. A. (2025). Accessing responsible gambling information from casinos: Two secret shopper studies. Journal of Gambling Studies. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-025-10396-w

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-025-10396-w

Keywords: awareness ; casinos ; Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ; responsible gambling

Topics: Gambling Resources ; Information for Operators ; Venue/Casino

Conceptual Framework Factors: Environment - Culture of Social Responsibility ; Exposure - Gambling Setting ; Environment - Responsible Gambling ; Resources - Harm Reduction, Prevention, and Protection ; Gambling Environment

Study Design: Observational: Cross-sectional

Geographic Coverage: United States of America

Study Population: Phone interactions with customer services representatives (n = 12) in Study 1, and in-person interactions with on-casino floor employees (n = 6), off-casino floor employees (n = 7), and security personnel (n = 7) in Study 2.

Sampling Procedure: In Study 1, trained research assistants made phone calls to seven casinos’ web-accessed and operable customer service numbers during standard business hours in 2024. All casinos were called twice. In Study 2, trained research assistants visited the same seven casinos, also posing as customers seeking responsible gambling information.

Study Funding:

This study was funded by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.