Gambling Research Exchange Ontario

Characteristics of Canadian adults who gamble online compared to those who only gamble in land-based venues

Wed, 15 May 2024 23:00:00 GMT

The purpose of this study was to compare the biopsychosocial characteristics of people who gamble online and those who only gamble in land-based venues. This study used data that were collected as part of the Alberta Gambling Research Institute (AGRI) National Study on Gambling and Problem Gambling (ANP) Online Panel project. Participants were at least 18 years old and gambled at least once a month or more in the past year. A total of 10,052 participants completed a baseline survey, and 4,707 also completed a follow-up survey about a year later.

Compared to those who only gambled in land-based venues, participants who gambled online engaged in more types of gambling, gambled more often and for longer periods, and experienced greater gambling losses. They were also more likely to have problem gambling. Those who gambled online tended to be younger and male, have higher impulsive tendency, use more alcohol, and be addicted to video games compared to those who only gambled in land-based venues. Gambling online and having access to legal online gambling at baseline predicted online gambling at follow-up. Other predictors included being younger and male, gambling more frequently, having lower household debt, and being more impulsive.

See the research summary 'Characteristics of Canadian adults who gamble online compared to those who only gamble in land-based venues' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling prevalence study by Greo released in Cyprus

Tue, 23 May 2023 21:00:00 GMT

In 2022, the Cyprus National Betting Authority commissioned Greo Evidence Insights and Insights Market Research to conduct a prevalence study to assess rates of gambling participation and problem gambling to enhance understanding of gambling harms in the Republic of Cyprus, and serve as a foundation from which to build a public health approach to addressing gambling related harm. Questionnaire responses (N=2,950) were collected via telephone interviews using computer assisted telephone interviewing between November 11, 2022, and December 30, 2022.

In 2022, just over half of respondents (55%) reported participating in one or more gambling activities in the past year, with the greatest proportion of respondents engaging in lottery gambling, specifically lottery games (e.g., Joker, Lotto, Proto) and scratch cards. Approximately 1.5% of Cypriots met the criteria for problem gambling, scoring 8 or more on the PGSI. This percentage of people meeting the criteria for problem gambling is within the range of problem gambling rates observed internationally in prevalence surveys using the PGSI conducted since 2019.

See the full report Gambling and problem gambling in the Republic of Cyprus: Results of a 2022 national quantitative survey in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A review of European gambling policy research

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 13:45:00 GMT

Gambling policy is an essential part of the gambling experience. It helps regulate gambling practice and minimize gambling-related harms. Focusing on research that examines gambling policy highlights parts of the gambling policy making process that need improvement. The authors found that gambling policy research in Europe has many gaps. Also, gambling policy in Europe is not cohesive due to conflicting goals and interests. The authors recommend a systematic approach to gambling policy research which takes the full policy cycle into account.

See the two-page plain language article summary A review of European gambling policy research in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The link between sensation seeking and online poker problem gambling

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 17:45:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: Problem online poker gamblers had higher sensation seeking scores (total score; and thrill and adventure seeking, boredom susceptibility, and disinhibition subscores) than non-problem online poker gamblers. Problem online poker gamblers also had higher depression scores than non-problem online poker gamblers. Depression and sensation seeking, and more specifically disinhibition, are factors associated with online poker problem gambling, especially in men. Treatment providers working with problem gamblers who play online poker could suggest behavioural strategies that help with depression and lack of restraint.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'The link between sensation seeking and online poker problem gambling', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Report: Drivers of gambling marketing restrictions - An international comparison

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 00:15:00 GMT

This report examines the social and political factors that resulted in more stringent regulation of gambling marketing in Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Australia. The purpose was to compare policy approaches in these countries to the United Kingdom government's mostly self-regulatory approach. The study involved a review of the research and consultations with key researchers in the each country. In addition, the authors examine gambling marketing restrictions with marketing restrictions for tobacco, alcohol, and foods high in fat, salt, and sugar. Implications for Great Britain are discussed.

Findings include:

All countries followed a similar path: an increase in gambling availability, which was followed by more people gambling and more gambling marketing, followed by an increase in the number of people gambling and the number of people who experienced gambling harm.
Evidence showing an increase in gambling participation and harm was used to influence marketing legislation in each country. However, other factors also influenced the decision to intervene with more regulation.
The United Kingdom is the country with the most research published on the increase in gambling participation and harm, as well as the fewest restrictions on gambling marketing.

See the full report, 'Drivers of gambling marketing restrictions – An international comparison', in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Is gambling screening feasible in consumer credit counselling?

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 15:00:00 GMT

This study found that one in five callers to a national credit counselling agency reported gambling. Those who gambled reported higher rates of gambling problems than the general U.S. population. The findings support the idea that screening for gambling problems in credit counselling may help identify people at risk of gambling disorder. Credit counsellors and program administrators also saw the benefit of brief screening for gambling problems within their intake and counselling sessions.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Is gambling screening feasible in consumer credit counselling?', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Comparing the characteristics of online gamblers who use offshore versus domestically licensed gambling websites

Fri, 11 Jan 2019 21:00:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: In this study, the researchers investigated why regular online gamblers chose to play on offshore gambling websites instead of domestically licensed websites. Participants were 1001 Australian adults who had gambled online in the past four weeks. The participants completed a survey. The results showed that gamblers who used offshore sites and those who used domestic sites had different characteristics. Offshore gamblers tended to be younger in age, have higher education, and work full-time instead of being retired. Offshore gamblers tended to be more heavily involved in gambling and have more severe gambling problems than domestic gamblers.

Both offshore and domestic gamblers were not very concerned with whether a gambling website was licensed or not. Instead, they chose a site because of ease of use, ease of placing bets, and ability to bet in Australian dollars. However, domestic gamblers preferred playing on websites that were licensed in Australia, whereas offshore gamblers were more likely to choose sites that offered a good gambling experience and have higher payout rates.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Comparing the characteristics of online gamblers who use offshore versus domestically licensed gambling websites', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Stakeholders' perspectives on channeling policy to address offshore gambling in Finland

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 22:30:00 GMT

A strategic tool called channeling can help regulate offshore gambling. Channeling is the attempt by national authorities to direct online gambling towards the regulated market. The purpose of this study was to examine the arguments that stakeholders in Finland made concerning channeling measures. A total of 18 people were interviewed. Participants included Finnish public servants and representatives of the state-owned gambling company. The participants discussed the loss of market share to offshore providers. They viewed channeling as an important policy tool. Many felt that channeling can help prevent gambling harms. Some viewed channeling as a way to help retain customers on the licensed and regulated gambling site. They felt that offshore gambling is more harmful than gambling on a national, regulated website. Participants also discussed the benefits and drawbacks of a potential licensing regime. The researchers proposed a new regulatory model that represents the Finnish online gambling policy starting in 2018, which is called the ‘dam model.’

See the two-page plain language article summary 'Stakeholders’ perspectives on channeling policy to address offshore gambling in Finland' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The use of behavioural markers of harm to profile the riskiness of online gambling products

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 15:30:00 GMT

This study examined whether behavioural markers of harm can help identify the riskiness of different gambling products. Six behavioural markers of harm were examined. These included bonus page visits; gambling during unusual times; top-ups made during gambling sessions; removing/easing of responsible gambling settings; deposits being rejected because of lack of funds; and deposits declined by the payment provider/bank. The researchers used anonymized data provided by the online gambling website Unibet. This dataset included data on 100,000 people in the United Kingdom who had spent money on at least one online gambling product between January and June 2022. Among the table games, roulette was the most popular and was most strongly linked to the behavioural markers of harm. Apart from removing/easing of responsible gambling settings, there was a strong link between other behavioural markers and number of active days playing certain gambling activities. Gambling products that had short event frequencies (e.g., slots and in-play betting) were most strongly linked to patterns of riskier play. Placing combination bets and engaging in live (but not simulated) table games were also linked to patterns of riskier play. More active betting days on less-established sports were also moderately linked to an increased risk. Betting on less-established sports was linked to gambling at unusual hours.

See the two page plain language article summary The use of behavioural markers of harm to profile the riskiness of online gambling products in Greo's Evidence Centre.

How do people feel about gambling companies sponsoring sports?

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 21:45:00 GMT

The researchers conducted two experiments to compare the effects of gambling and banking sponsorships on consumer perceptions and behaviors. Participants read a fake news article about a soccer team's new sponsor, either a gambling company or a bank, and then completed a survey. The researchers found that gambling sponsorship was perceived as not a good fit and less morally appropriate, particularly among people without problem gambling. Even when the gambling sponsorship was less obvious, participants still viewed it critically. The findings suggest that gambling sponsorship can negatively impact consumer attitudes and behaviors, emphasizing the need for monitoring and regulating gambling sports sponsorship.

See the article summary 'How do people feel about gambling companies sponsoring sports?' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Screening for problem gambling in community and health care settings

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 19:45:00 GMT

Research Snapshot: This article is a review of screening and brief interventions for problem gambling in community and health care settings. The authors found nine research studies and 13 grey literature sources. Three studies described interventions delivered in general practice, mental health service, and substance use treatment service. The other six studies explored the possibility of screening for problem gambling in various settings. The grey literature sources were examples of interventions that had been adapted from substance use by practitioners. Overall, screening for problem gambling in community and health care settings is possible. There is a need for evaluation of success.

See the two-page Research Snapshot of this article in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling digital tools across the player spectrum: Promising practices and future opportunities

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 17:45:00 GMT

This report by Greo's new Senior Research Lead Sasha Stark, and published by Responsible Gambling Council, outlines the needs and opportunities to provide greater information and support through digital innovation to people who gamble. It describes the gambling digital tools ecosystem, which includes tools for those at low, moderate, and high risk (i.e., primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention). Based on a literature review, environmental scan, tool assessments, and stakeholder consultations, the report discusses what we need to do more of and what we need to change regarding digital support tools for people who gamble. These include:

Increasing understanding and developing more tools for people at lower risk using evidence-informed approaches
Layering tools for higher risk players with other relevant gambling and/or mental health tools
Framing tools as relevant to target groups, using approachable language and making tools easy to find
Creating more diverse tools (i.e., for diverse audiences, using diverse perspectives)
Interacting with players and communicating about tools early in the player experience
Developing a full player view, to support holistic and accurate tool support

Link to the full report Gambling digital tools across the player spectrum: Promising practices and future opportunities in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Financial literacy and lottery gambling behaviour: Findings from the State-by-State National Financial Capability Study

Thu, 19 May 2022 20:15:00 GMT

Lotteries are the most prevalent form of gambling in the United States. Playing the lottery can have a negative impact on those who engage in it heavily. Financial literacy is the ability to understand and use different types of financial knowledge to make financial decisions. This study examined the relationship between financial literacy and the frequency of buying the lottery. It used restricted-version data from the United States’ 2018 state-by-state survey of the National Financial Capability study. The survey had responses from 26,566 adults. The researcher found that greater financial literacy reduced lottery consumption of those who played moderately. But the effects of financial literacy were lessened among people who played the lottery more heavily.

Read the article summary Financial literacy and lottery gambling behaviour: Findings from the State-by-State National Financial Capability Study in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Can digital tasks be used to interrupt dissociation during online gambling sessions?

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 23:45:00 GMT

Online gambling can lead to isolated and uninterrupted gambling sessions. Dissociation, which can be defined as an “altered state of awareness”, may occur during online gambling. Dissociation may cause people to lose track of the amount of time and money they have spent gambling. In this study, the researchers created four digital tasks (cognitive, dialogue, informative, and standard) to interrupt the dissociation people may experience while gambling online. The researchers examined participants’ response times to the tasks during an online slot game and questions related to their gambling behaviour and dissociation experiences. The researchers found that the task interruptions significantly affected participants’ response times, particularly the dialogue task. Also, the digital tasks were rated with a high level of acceptance by the participants.

See the two-page plain language article summary Can digital tasks be used to interrupt dissociation during online gambling sessions? in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling, metal health, and demographic differences between people who gamble with and without cannabis use

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 19:45:00 GMT

Recent research has demonstrated that people with problem gambling may also struggle with cannabis use. The goal of this study was to see if there are differences between adults who gamble and who do or do not use cannabis. The researchers surveyed 10,054 Canadian adults who gambled regarding their demographics, cannabis use, gambling history and frequency, and mental health. They compared people who used cannabis (CUs) and those who did not use cannabis (NCUs). The results showed that a greater proportion of CUs had symptoms of problem gambling, tended to be younger, spent more money gambling, and participated in more types of gambling compared to NCUs. Several factors predicted being a CU. These included younger age, participating in online gambling, using tobacco and alcohol, and having experienced abuse as a child.

Read the two-page plain language article summary Gambling, metal health, and demographic differences between people who gamble with and without cannabis use in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The role of digital payment solutions in online gambling: Results from a focus group with people experiencing problem gambling

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 19:15:00 GMT

Digital payment systems (DPSs) on online gambling websites allow people to quickly deposit and withdraw funds. However, there is concern that the features of DPSs could lead to more harmful gambling. The goal of this study was to examine the possible influence of DPSs on gambling behaviour among a sample of people experiencing problem gambling. The researchers recruited six people with online gambling experience using one or more DPSs for a focus group. The focus group explored ways that DPSs can influence gambling.

The researchers identified three key themes: (1) existing addictive needs dictate how a DPS is used when gambling (e.g., being able to get around responsible gambling measures); (2) DPSs can alter the experience of gambling (e.g., nudge people towards harmful gambling); and (3) the perspectives and concerns of people with problem gambling on DPSs being used by gambling operators (e.g., DPSs negatively influence gambling behaviour, interfere with responsible gambling tools, and should be banned for unlicensed operators). The researchers presented an initial framework to examine the influence of DPSs on gambling behaviour, considering both social and technical aspects.

See the article summary 'The role of digital payment solutions in online gambling: Results from a focus group with people experiencing problem gambling' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The costs and benefits of gambling from the perspectives of gamblers and people close to them

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 20:45:00 GMT

This study examined the costs and benefits of gambling to quality of life from the perspectives of gamblers and affected others. Data were from a survey of 5000 adults living in Tasmania, Australia. Two methods were used to estimate the gain and loss in quality of life: The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Time-Trade-Off (TTO) method. Based on both methods, the majority of gamblers said that gambling had no impact on their quality of life. Most affected others said that gambling by another person had a negative impact on their quality of life. The TTO revealed a larger number of gamblers who admitted a negative impact of gambling than the VAS. Overall, the results suggest that the benefit of gambling to people’s quality of life is close to zero (based on the VAS), or may even be negative (based on the TTO).

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'The costs and benefits of gambling from the perspectives of gamblers and people close to them', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Direct and affiliate wagering marketing and gambling-related harm

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:00:00 GMT

This research report published by Gambling Research Australia explored receiving direct messages to wager (i.e., to bet), gambling-related harm, and the development and maintenance of problem gambling. The study also examined wagering affiliate marketing and the risk of problem gambling and gambling-related harm. The data consisted of literature and regulatory reviews, website and Twitter analysis, stakeholder interviews, ecological momentary assessment, and an experimental study. The report contains extensive detail about each type of data collected, along with a discussion of the findings overall.

Key findings include:

People who are more involved in betting receive more direct marketing to wager.
Direct marketing from wagering operators mostly promotes inducements.
Regulatory concerns include sending direct marketing without a customer’s consent, lack of unsubscribe options that are functional, and messaging to customers experiencing gambling harm.
Direct marketing to wager encourages more betting and harmful betting, particularly in people who are the most involved in betting.
Direct messages with inducement promotions increase the risk of harm to people who bet.
It is difficult to devise regulation as there is limited ability to monitor direct messages and wagering affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing is one of the main marketing tools used by wagering operators.
Wagering affiliates are heavily incentivised to recruit people to bet and to encourage them to accumulate betting losses.

See the full report 'Direct and affiliate wagering marketing and gambling-related harm' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

UK Annual Student Gambling Survey 2024

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 23:30:00 GMT

This is the third UK annual student survey by market reserach company Censuswide, commissioned by charities Ygam and GAMSTOP. The purpose of the survey was to examine the prevalence of student gambling behaviour and its effects. In addition, the survey assessed students’ confidence seeking help for gambling-related issues and harms. The survey also measured problem gambling using the Problem Gambling Severity Index. A total of 2000 students at UK universities completed the survey. The researchers found that risk of gambling harm was linked to a variety of factors, including financial strain, peer influence, product design and accessibility, lack of awareness of the risks related to gambling, and other psychosocial factors.

Other findings include:

46% of students reported that gambling had impacted their university experience (e.g., missing study deadlines and social activities, adding pressure to cover basic expenses such as food)
Students who gambled lost £35.25 a week on average (equivalent to £1833 annually)
Students classified as experiencing problem gambling decreased slightly from 24% to 21% from 2023. Students classified as at moderate risk of problem gambling stayed the same as in 2023 at 28%.
Recommendations include universal gambling harm prevention education in schools.

See the full report 'Annual Student Gambling Survey 2024' linked in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling-related cases of death by suicide recorded in the US National Violent Death Reporting System

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

The public health burden of gambling is hard to estimate. Death by suicide presents a substantial public health cost that can be more easily measured. The current study examined data from the National Violent Death Reporting System in the US. The aim was to detect cases of death by suicide where gambling was identified as a factor. There were 296,317 cases of death by suicide from 2003 to 2020. Gambling was mentioned as a factor in 1,306 cases (0.44%).

Gambling-related death by suicide was more likely to involve men than women, and middle-aged people than older or younger people. It was also over-represented in people identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian/Alaska Native. It was under-represented in people identified as Black or African American. Gambling-related death by suicide was over-represented in cases where alcohol use was suspected; cases with significant financial problems; and cases where intimate partner problems were involved. It was under-represented in cases involving people with a mental health diagnosis. The rate of gambling-related death by suicide in Nevada was around nine times higher than the rate in the overall sample.

See the two-page summary 'Gambling-related cases of death by suicide recorded in the National Violent Death Reporting System' and link to the full article in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Significant decrease in calls to Ontario problem gambling helpline since March 2020

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 16:30:00 GMT

New data shows that calls to Ontario's major gambling helplines have dropped significantly since March 2020, despite a sharp rise in calls to other mental health and crisis lines. The data from ConnexOntario and commentary by gambling studies researcher Nigel Turner at Ontario's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is published in the sping issue of the Journal of Gambling Issues.

Turner states, "...helpline calls vary in frequency each month, but in April and May 2020 helpline calls were down by approximately 50% in frequency compared to immediately preceding months." Although not all people who are in crisis contact a helpline, this may indicate that the pandemic has caused a decrease in gambling in Ontario.

To read more, see the link to the commentary "Covid-19 and gambling in Ontario" on GREO's Covid-19 News and Emerging Research page.

Comparing how gambling monopoly and licensing regulatory systems affect levels of gambling harm

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 20:00:00 GMT

Research Snapshot: The authors review research evidence on whether government-owned monopolies are better able to address gambling harm than private licensed markets. They focused on three indicators of harm: (1) prevalence of problem gambling; (2) total consumption (i.e., the total value that people in a population spend on gambling); and (3) conflicts of interest. The authors found 21 studies. Overall, government-owned monopolies have somewhat lower prevalence of problem gambling and total consumption. This is likely due to other policy choices, such as the availability of certain gambling products and harm prevention programmes. Government-owned monopolies are more prone to conflicts of interest since the governments take on several contradictory roles.

See the two-page Research Snapshot article summary Comparing how gambling monopoly and licensing regulatory systems affect levels of gambling harm in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Resources for safer gambling during COVID-19

Tue, 12 May 2020 20:45:00 GMT

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic could have a significant impact on how, why, and when people gamble, resulting in important implications for the way we design gambling prevention, harm reduction, and treatment initiatives.

GREO is committed to curating and sharing the best available evidence to inform meaningful and responsive policy and practice across the gambling landscape. In partnership with international stakeholders, we have created a collection of evidence related to gambling behaviour, mental health, and wellbeing.

Visit our Resources for Safer Gambling During COVID-19 page and explore all nine areas of evidence.

Participatory approaches could help refine Internet Gaming Disorder criteria

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 21:45:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: Two groups of engaged gamers submitted and ranked criteria they felt were the most important “signs” of problematic gaming. The researchers compared these to the proposed criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in the DSM-5. The gamers emphasized functional impairment and harms due to problematic gaming. They agreed strongly with three proposed criteria, including: 1) continued use despite problems; 2) unsuccessful attempts to control; and 3) loss of interest in previous hobbies and entertainment. The gamers also offered new criteria that did not match current IGD criteria. This study highlights that participatory approaches may help refine IGD criteria and ensure measures are able to tell apart normal from problematic gaming.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, ‘Participatory approaches could help refine Internet Gaming Disorder criteria', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Co-designing a website for self-exclusion from multiple gambling venues

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 17:15:00 GMT

This study aimed to develop a self-directed website for people to register for self-exclusion from gambling venues. The interviews and focus groups asked participants for their opinions about website features and functions, and practical issues that could affect its uptake. Five participants were people with lived experience of gambling problems and self-exclusion. The rest were professionals with relevant work experience. Participants expected the website to be user-friendly, supportive, trustworthy, and tailored to the needs of end users. Participants outlined core functions and support features that the website should have (e.g., high data security measures).

Read the article summary Co-designing a website for self-exclusion from multiple gambling venues in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Innovative safer gambling campaigns to challenge harmful gambling products and industry practices: A description of 'Odds Are: They Win'

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 14:00:00 GMT

This article describes a social marketing campaign launched by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority in 2022. The campaign, ‘Odds Are: They Win’, presented advertisements that were co-developed with public health professionals and people who experienced gambling harms. The advertisements focused on the different harms caused by harmful gambling products and industry practices. This focus differs from traditional industry-created safer gambling campaigns. The authors argue that campaigns like ‘Odds Are: They Win’ may be more effective and be potentially disruptive innovations to aid public health in addressing gambling harms.

See the two-page plain language article summary Innovative safer gambling campaigns to challenge harmful gambling products and industry practices: A description of ‘Odds Are: They Win’ in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Better resilience may help to protect military populations from gambling harms

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 17:15:00 GMT

Military populations (i.e., active-duty and veterans) have higher rates of problem gambling than the general population. However, it is not clear what factors increase or reduce the risk of problem gambling in military populations. This study examined risk and protective factors for gambling in military and the general population. Participants completed an online survey. The results showed that military participants gambled more often than non-military participants. Many different risk and protective factors were linked to gambling in the non-military participants. For military participants, only the protective factor of ‘resilience’ was linked to gambling behaviour. So, military personnel with higher resilience may be at lower risk of gambling harm.

Read the article summary Better resilience may help to protect military populations from gambling harms in Greo's Evidence Centre.

How are safer gambling messages that highlight the likelihood of losing money perceived by people who gamble online?

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 19:00:00 GMT

Harm prevention (safer gambling) messages are often used to warn people about the potential harm of gambling. One type of message warns people about the likelihood of losing money. In this study, the researchers looked at how such messages could be improved. They used data from 4,025 adults in the UK who engaged in at least one form of online gambling apart from the lottery. In an online survey, participants rated 10 messages on how much each appeared to challenge them to win at gambling, made them want to gamble less, was relevant to themselves personally, and was relevant to people experiencing gambling harms. On average, participants found that the harm prevention messages they saw did not challenge them to try to win at gambling, would make them want to gamble less, and were relevant to people experiencing gambling harms. The message, “99% of gamblers lose in the long run” performed the best across all rating statements. Ratings differed depending on the participants’ problem gambling severity. The findings can inform and improve the design of harm prevention messages.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'How are safer gambling messages that highlight the likelihood of losing money perceived by people who gamble online?' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling in Australia during COVID-19

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 19:15:00 GMT

This report summarizes research undertaken by the Australian Gambling Research Centre that looks at the impact of government restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic on gambling in Australia. These restrictions included the closure of land-based gambling venues and the cancellation of major sports leagues, which significantly changed gambling availability. The study surveyed over 2,000 people by phone in June and July 2020. The authors also spoke with gambling experts in areas such as research, policy, and treatment. The report shows the types of products people gambled on before and during COVID-19, and how that affected gambling participation, alcohol consumption, and health and wellbeing. Overall, results show that participants gambled more during COVID-19, despite limited access to gambling venues. The proportion who gambled four or more times a week increased from 23% to 32%. In addition, almost 1 in 3 survey participants signed up for a new online betting account during COVID-19, and 1 in 20 started gambling online. These and other findings from the report will be used to inform policy aimed at preventing and reducing harm from gambling in Australia.

Read the full report linked to in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Greo's new Safer Gambling Evaluation Evidence Hub

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 13:45:00 GMT

One of the ways Greo supports the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms in Great Britain is by working with stakeholders of the Strategy to strengthen evaluation of safer gambling initiatives.

Well-designed and delivered evaluations of safer gambling initiatives are essential to understand the impact of safer gambling interventions, and ultimately what works to reduce gambling harms in practice. Our collective evaluation capacity is instrumental to accelerating the efforts of the National Strategy.

GREO's evaluation team has developed a suite of evaluation tools and resources that are available on this platform for stakeholders of the Strategy.

The evaluation tools and resource collection has been developed to:

Demonstrate how evaluation can be used to accelerate safer gambling efforts
Deliver access to the best tools and resources to guide your evaluation activities
Share examples of completed evaluations of safer gambling initiatives to inform your work

See GREO's new Safer Gambling Evaluation Evidence Hub

Misunderstanding of financial gambling inducements among people who gamble in the UK

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Financial inducements are promotional offers used by the gambling industry to attract and encourage people to gamble. However, it is often not transparent what is required of people if they accept a financial inducement. As such, people may not fully understand the true costs. In this study, the researchers examined people’s understanding of a financial inducement and whether providing a worked example explaining the wagering requirement would make a difference. A total of 585 adults took part in an online experiment. It was found that most people underestimated the cost associated with accepting the inducement. This underestimation was seen across all levels of gambling risk. Providing a worked example reduced the inducement's attractiveness. In general, people expressed negative views towards financial inducements, seeing them as manipulative and of little value, and called for stricter regulation or complete ban.

See the two-page plain language summary 'Misunderstanding of financial gambling inducements among people who gamble in the UK' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling Harm Reduction Funding Call Launch - Network to Reduce Gambling Harms in Great Britain

Fri, 23 May 2025 17:15:00 GMT

The Community Investment Programme funding call is now open and accepting applications for community-focused initiatives in Great Britain. The funding programme consists of a £1,000,000 funding envelope organised by two funding streams, Broader Impact Grants and Local Impact Grants, each with a total of £500,000 of total funding available.

The Community Investment Programme provides funding to initiatives in Scotland, England, and Wales prioritising at-risk and underserved populations.

It aims to:

Build capacity and increase community resilience to gambling-related harm

Address needs around gambling harm prevention, education, and treatment

Embed prevention and support for gambling harms into existing programmes, policies, and services

To learn more about applying for funding, see Greo's Network to Reduce Gambling Harms Programming page.

**To be eligible for funding principal applicants must be based in Great Britain. Small organisations and / or first-time applicants are encouraged to apply.

The Network to Reduce Gambling Harms is brought to you by Greo Evidence Insights. Funds used to support this initiative in Great Britain come from regulatory settlements for socially responsible purposes.

The content of problem gambling prevention messages in the US

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:45:00 GMT

The purpose of this study was to analyze the content of publicly funded problem gambling prevention messages in the U.S. It involved two rounds of internet searches (Fall 2020 to Spring 2021 and Fall 2022). A total of 318 intervention messages were included in the analysis. Most messages (62.9%) addressed barriers. More than half (57%) referenced the severity of problem gambling. Almost 40% included a self-screener. About one-third of messages highlighted descriptive norms, personal responsibility, or association with other health problems.

The researchers identified two themes that may cause backfire effects. Backfire effects are potential unintended consequences of gambling intervention messages. Almost half (45%) of messages with descriptive norms made it seem like the behaviour in question was not common. This might make people feel like outliers and be less likely to seek help. Some interventions included messages that might induce shame or stigma. The researchers also found that many messages were based on elements recommended in health behaviour theories. However, these theories appeared to be applied in a haphazard way rather than purposefully.

See the two-page plain language article summary The content of problem gambling prevention messages in the United States in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A review on the gamblification of sports and harmful gambling amongst sport audiences

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 15:15:00 GMT

This narrative review examined current gambling research to identify issues that affect harmful gambling amongst sport audiences due to the gamblification of sports. Over 130 studies were used to inform the review. The researchers identified seven key issues: 1) harmful sports betting and negative consequences; 2) increased access to sports betting through smartphones; 3) novel betting options attract people already experiencing gambling harm; 4) advertising can worsen harmful betting; 5) normalization of sports betting amongst sports fans; 6) impacts on children and adolescents; and 7) higher risk of harmful betting amongst sports participants. The researchers discussed how it is important for sports organizations to plan for a future without wagering sponsorships. Sport organizations should also try to reduce gambling harm amongst their fans, players, and communities.

See the two-page plain language article summary A review on the gamblification of sports and harmful gambling amongst sport audiences in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Evidence-based framework to inform regulation and reduce the risk of gambling products

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 15:45:00 GMT

Product risk refers to the characteristics of a gambling product that may increase harm. A newly published article highlights the need for an evidence-based framework to inform regulation in this area and reduce the risk of gambling products. The article clarifies what is meant by product risk, and describes what is currently known about gambling products and their harm. The authors suggest that a whole systems approach is needed with better communication and collaboration across all stakeholders.

Read the article summary Evidence-based framework to inform regulation and reduce the risk of gambling products in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling prevalence and problem gambling in LGBTQ2+ communities

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 14:30:00 GMT

This new Greo research brief outlines existing research on gambling among LGBTQ2+ communities. It can provide a starting point for further study on gambling within LGBTQ2+ communities.

Key findings in the brief include:

There is little research related to gambling and gambling harms within this community
Members of LGBTQ2+ communities are at greater risk problem gambling and gambling-related harms
Sexual minority men gamble less often and spend less money when compared to heterosexual men
Sexual minority women are at greater risk of problem gambling when compared to heterosexual women
Experiencing stigma is associated with problem gambling and gambling harms among LGBTQ2+ individuals

Read the brief Gambling prevalence and problem gambling in LGBTQ2+ communities in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Do video games lead to gambling?

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 16:45:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: This study examined participant’s video gaming and gambling involvement over 2 years. The findings suggest that their involvement in either activity did not change much overtime. Playing video games was identified as a risk factor for problem gambling. Problem gambling was not found to be a risk factor for video gaming. Researchers could explore this relationship further by conducting longitudinal studies.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Do video games lead to gambling?', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Does limit setting reduce gambling-related harms for people who make in-play sports bets?

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 23:45:00 GMT

Sports betting has become increasingly popular over the past few years. Research suggests that in-play betting, which allows people to wager on ongoing sports matches, may be an especially harmful form of sports betting. Self-regulation strategies can help reduce gambling-related harms. The aim of this study was to examine whether self-regulation strategies were effective for people who made in-play sports bets. The self-regulation strategies examined included setting monetary or time limits, stopping gambling when it is no longer fun, and taking frequent breaks.

The researchers conducted a two-week ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study. Participants were prompted to answer a survey related to their in-play betting twice a day. In each survey, participants reported whether they had made in-play bets, and if so, how many bets were placed and how much money they spent. They were also asked about the use of self-regulation strategies and harms experienced due to in-play betting. The researchers found that setting monetary limits, but not time limits, was an effective way to reduce harms related to in-play betting.

See the two-page plain language article summary 'Does limit setting reduce gambling-related harms for people who make in-play sports bets?’ in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A review of how the social costs of gambling are estimated in research

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:45:00 GMT

This scoping review identified the direct, indirect, and intangible social costs of gambling included in previous research studies. It also compares the estimates of total costs across studies and reviews differences in the methods used. The researchers highlight the need for a consistent and clear way to measure social costs of gambling. There is also a need for better data, along with open sharing of data and calculation methods.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'A review of how the social costs of gambling are estimated in research' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The trajectory of problem gambling, its state of being a chronic condition, and its causes

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 18:00:00 GMT

A large number of studies have focused on factors that contribute to problem gambling. However, most of these studies have been cross-sectional surveys that collected data at only one timepoint. In recent years, several large-scale longitudinal studies on gambling and problem gambling have been conducted. This article provides a narrative review of these longitudinal studies.

The researchers identified several patterns of problem gambling from the review. First, the trajectory of problem gambling suggests that not everyone with problem gambling gets worse over time. Second, not everyone with problem gambling will have this condition for their entire life; some will recover, and others will move in and out of having problem gambling. Finally, more than 20 factors likely contribute to the risk of developing problem gambling. Some key factors include the extent of gambling involvement, social factors, personality, and mental illness. This review can inform future gambling research, policy, and intervention.

See the two-page summary ‘The trajectory of problem gambling, its state of being a chronic condition, and its causes' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

New report: Examining lottery play and risk among young people in Great Britain

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 17:15:00 GMT

This new report funded by GREO examines whether using lottery and scratch cards is related to problem gambling in young people. The report focuses on 16 to 24-year-olds in England and Scotland. The report also considers whether mental health and gambling behaviours explained the link between lottery and scratch cards and problem gambling. Samples were drawn from the 2012, 2015, and 2016 Gambling in England and Scotland: Combined data from the Health Survey for England and the Scottish Health Survey. The authors found a significant association between lottery and scratchcards and gambling problems. Findings also showed that gambling problems were predicted by age, gender, lower wellbeing, and using other gambling products. The results of this report can inform youth-focused education, decisions around the legal age for gambling, and developing safer gambling programs.

Read the report 'Examining lottery play and risk among young people in Great Britain', in GREO's Evidence Centre, or see a two-page plain language summary of the report.

Improving safer gambling messaging on operator advertising

Wed, 15 May 2024 22:45:00 GMT

This summary outlines the findings from a research project to explore and test potential improvements to safer gambling messaging on gambling advertisements. The research was one of the first projects to measure the impact and effectiveness of a number of potential alternative forms of safer gambling messaging in Great Britain. The new potential messages were compared to the "Take time to think" messaging developed by the gambling industry, currently in use. The project involved qualitative research conducted by specialist communications agency The Outsiders and quantitative research conducted by the market research company YouGov.

The project found that:

There are potential improvements to the current industry-created safer gambling messaging.
Potential options to replace "Take time to think" include: "Gambling comes at a cost", "Gambling can be addictive", and "Gambling can grip anyone".
The messaging should be presented in a larger size and at the top of advertisements.

Read the executive summary of the report, 'Executive summary: Improving safer gambling messaging on operator advertising', linked in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The influence of typical return-to-player and house edge messaging on perceived chances of winning

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:45:00 GMT

Previous research has indicated that people who gamble often misunderstand return-to-player (RTP) information. The purpose of this study was to further examine whether RTP information inflates people’s perceived chances of winning compared to house edge (HE) or no information at all. The researchers carried out two studies with adult participants who had experience with online slot games. In Study 1, participants were from the UK, and in Study 2, participants were from the UK or the US. Participants were shown either an RTP message (“This game has an average percentage payout of 90%”), one of two different HE messages (“This game keeps 10% of all money bet” or “This game is programmed to cost you 10% of your stake on each bet”), or no information. Participants then rated their perceived chances of winning at a hypothetical slot machine.

Overall, a typical 90% RTP message inflated participants’ perceived chances of winning compared to no information at all and the two HE messages. But the HE messages did not perform better than no information. Participants with more severe problem gambling felt that they had higher chances of winning when no information was provided. This effect was not observed in the RTP or HE conditions.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'The influence of typical return-to-player and house edge messaging on perceived chances of winning' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Income as a risk factor for gambling disorder

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 13:45:00 GMT

Gambling disorder is more prevalent in the context of poverty. This suggests that income might be a risk factor for gambling disorder. The goal of this study is to look at whether income is a risk factor for gambling disorder. It also looks at the predicted income trajectories for gambling disorder patients between 2008 and 2018. The researchers compared patients with gambling disorder to patients with other mental or physical disorders and the general population. Patients with gambling disorder were more likely to have lower income levels in 2008 compared to the general population. The predicted income for patients with gambling disorder was below the national average between 2008 and 2018. The researchers identified seven distinct groups of patients with gambling disorder based on their predicted income trajectories.

See the two-page plain language article summary Income as a risk factor for gambling disorder in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling and Gaming microcredential course through University of Alberta

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:30:00 GMT

The new Gambling and Gaming microcredential course is being offered through the Online and Continuing Education office at the University of Alberta. The four day intensive course takes place online and at the University of Alberta campus, November 12 to 15th, 2024.

The course provides a 360-degree understanding of gambling and gaming today, exploring questions such as:

What challenges are posed by the creation of new markets for online sports gambling, including younger and more diverse communities?
What kinds of gambling are being offered by illegal and grey sites and how are cryptocurrencies involved?
What are the comparative advantages of state-run and licencing systems for delivering safer and sustainable gambling to Albertans?
Should the framing of corporate social responsibility shift from 'Responsible Gambling' to 'Positive Play'?
How useful is financial literacy in creating more beneficial experiences for people who gamble in casinos and online?

In addition, professor Dr. Fiona Nicoll will help participants to develop innovative responses to organizational and research challenges. Indigenous and First Nations gambling will be addressed throughout the course.

The course includes assessment and all graduates receive a credential to apply to their CV/transcripts. The cost is $1000 (including a networking lunch on all 4 days). Enrolled graduate students in Canada are eligible for the reduced rate. Professionals may also be eligible to claim the cost of the course in your tax return as a training expense.

See the Gambling and Gaming course page on the University of Alberta website for more details or contact fnicoll@ualberta.ca. Registration closes on October 25th.

Features of gambling affiliate marketing and potential impacts on gambling-related harm in Australia

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 17:45:00 GMT

Gambling affiliate marketing involves gambling operators paying third parties (e.g., corporations, social media influencers) to refer customers to their products. In this study, the researchers explored stakeholder perspectives on the key features of gambling affiliate marketing and its potential to increase gambling-related harm. In total, 44 people representing 28 Australian organizations (gambling operators, affiliates, regulators, and support providers) were interviewed between April and July 2023.

The interview responses suggest that affiliate business models are diverse. Affiliates are financially motivated to encourage betting among customers. Moreover, affiliate marketing conflicts with gambling harm minimization, and affiliates tend not to implement harm minimization practices. This type of marketing targets vulnerable customers, such as those with gambling problems. The findings can inform regulations and strategies to increase consumer awareness about gambling affiliate marketing.

See the two-page summary ‘Features of gambling affiliate marketing and potential impacts on gambling-related harm in Australia' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Report: Impacts of advertising on gambling behavior in Massachusetts

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 19:15:00 GMT

This report examines the likely impacts of gambling advertising on gambling behaviour and problem gambling in Massachusetts. The report provides an overview of the research on the impact of advertising and gambling advertising. The evidence indicates that advertising has substantial impacts on people's attitudes about addictive products, including gambling. Part of this is due to how advertising usually only highlights the positive aspects and fails to convey risks associated with the use of addictive products. In addition to assessing the evidence, further insights are drawn from three online panel surveys conducted in Massachusetts between 2014 and 2023. The report is especially important as sports betting has been legalized in Masschusetts and is expanding rapidly.

Recommendations include:

Strengthening protections for minors
Restricting advertising that targets vulnerable groups
Requiring messages about where to get help in all advertising and marketing
Limiting the intensity and frequency of advertising
Ensuring that restrictions include digital media and third parties
Prohibiting false or misleading advertising
Restricting communications about inducements, bonuses, and credits

Link to the report 'Impacts of advertising on gambling behavior in Massachusetts' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A Safer Bet? Online gambling and mental health

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 14:15:00 GMT

This report by Money and Mental Health Policy Institute highlights how having a mental health problem can make it more difficult to stay in control when gambling online, which can contribute to financial and psychological harm. The project involved a literature review, an online survey of 2,096 adults in the UK on their gambling in relation to COVID-19 pandemic social distancing measures, and two additional surveys and a focus group with people who have lived experience with mental health problems.

The report sets out key sources of gambling-related harm for people with mental health problems. It relates the views of people with mental health problems on how to reduce gambling-related harm. It also outlines steps to make the online gambling environment safer and more responsive to harm.

Key recommendations:

Gambling firms should stop advertising online during the pandemic—a time when people are more exposed to financial hardship and distress.
The government should place limits on online gambling stakes, like the existing limits on fixed-odds betting terminals.
Online advertising operators—such as Google and Facebook—should work together to create an easy to use, single point exclusion tool to enable people to avoid online gambling adverts.

Read the full report on Money and Mental Health Policy Institute's website.

Exploring the relationship between problem gambling and suicidal behaviour among the general public in England

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 14:15:00 GMT

Researchers investigated the relationship between suicidality and problem gambling (PG) among people living in the community in England. They also explored whether having other mental disorders and addictions affects this relationship. The researchers analyzed data from the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS). They found a higher risk of suicidality among people with PG in the general public in England. The risk of suicidality remained higher among people with PG even after taking into account depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol addictions, and other factors. Policy makers can use this research to develop a gambling prevention strategy for England. This research also shows a need to screen for suicidality among people with PG.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Exploring the relationship between problem gambling and suicidal behaviour among the general public in England', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

How well do machine learning algorithms predict online problem gambling?

Tue, 26 May 2026 14:15:00 GMT

In this study, the researchers looked at which behavioural and monetary tracking features in online gambling and which machine learning algorithms best predict self-reported problem gambling. The researchers analyzed data from 1,661 people who gambled on a North American gambling website. They used a mix of self-reported data on problem gambling and data from participants’ online gambling accounts. Behavioural tracking features, like number of bets made and time spent gambling, predicted self-reported problem gambling better than monetary tracking features, like amounts of money won and lost. Logistic regression and random forest were the machine learning models that best predicted problem gambling. Participants experiencing problem gambling were younger in age, more likely to be male, bet more money, bet more money on casino games and less on lotteries, deposited more money into their online accounts, had more failed deposits, and gambled for longer sessions.The findings can inform responsible gambling strategies and interventions that gambling operators can implement to reduce harm from gambling among users.

See the two-page plain language summary 'How well do machine learning algorithms predict online problem gambling?' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Who gambles and who experiences gambling problems in Canada

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 19:30:00 GMT

New data from Statistics Canada's 2018 Canadian Community Health Survey, Gambling Rapid Response, found that nearly two-thirds (64%) of Canadians aged 15 or older reported gambling at least once in the past year. Although most people gambled without harm, close to 2% of people who gambled in the past year were at a moderate-to-severe risk of gambling-related problems.

The survey found that:

Men, people living in lower-income households, who were single, divorced or separated, who rated their mental health as fair or poor, or who participated in many different gambling activities were at higher risk of problem gambling.
People from lower-income households were less likely to gamble than people with higher incomes, but more likely to experience gambling problems.

The data provide an important baseline level of information about gambling behaviour in Canada, which will allow changes to be observed in the future, including possibly as a result new legislation.

Read the report "Who gambles and who experiences gambling problems in Canada", linked in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Can payment behaviour be used to signal harmful gambling? The role of financial institutions in promoting safer gambling

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Digital payment systems permit people to make payments, deposits, and withdrawals online. In recent years, gambling operators have integrated these payment systems into online gambling websites and apps. By doing so, people who gamble can make deposits into gambling accounts with ease. Yet, the extent to which features of payment systems affect gambling behaviour is not known. The primary aim of this study was to identify possible financial indicators that could signal harmful gambling. Another aim was to create a framework for financial institutions in promoting safer gambling. The participants were 16 experts in financial technologies (Fintech), gambling operators, academics, and professional counsellors. Using a Delphi study design, participants completed three online surveys. In each round, the panel experts rated the extent to which each financial indicator could predict harmful gambling. The experts agreed that 31 of the 39 financial indicators may be able to identify harmful gambling behaviour. These indicators are grouped as background, payment, and financial literacy indicators.

See the two-page article summary ‘Can payment behaviour be used to signal harmful gambling? The role of financial institutions in promoting safer gambling' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A review of online gambling among women

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 00:45:00 GMT

This article is the first to review and summarize existing research studies on women who gamble online. The findings show that there is a lack of research focusing on the experiences of women. Many studies compared women’s experiences to those of men, ignoring the diversity of women’s experiences with online gambling. The findings also highlight the general and unique motivations for why women gamble online, and negative consequences associated with online gambling. This review identifies gaps in current knowledge and suggests areas that need further research.

See the two-page plain language article summary 'A review of online gambling among women' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The prevalence of loyalty program use and its association with higher risk gambling in Australia

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 15:45:00 GMT

This research aimed to understand the link between loyalty programs and gambling problems. The researchers reviewed previous evidence from major prevalence studies in Australia in the last 10 years. The results revealed that there was an upward trend in the relationship between loyalty programs and gambling severity. About 10% of people with no gambling problem and 20% of people with low risk for gambling problems reported to use a loyalty card. Around 30% of those with moderate risk for gambling problems reported to use a loyalty card. Over 40% of people who had the highest risk for gambling problems were loyalty card holders. Thus, the use of a loyalty program increased with gambling severity.

Read the two-page summary and the full article in GREO's Evidence Centre.

The emerging impact of COVID-19 on gambling in Ontario

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 20:00:00 GMT

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent government emergency measures in Ontario, Canada, the Responsible Gambling Council's Centre for the Advancement of Best Practices conducted a study to determine the effects of the pandemic on Ontarian gamblers. The purpose was to improve harm prevention programs and community outreach through evidence-informed decisions. The study surveyed 2,005 adult gamblers living in Ontario to assess the impact of COVID-19 on personal financial indicators, mental health and wellness, substance use, gambling behaviours, responsible gambling, and gambling risk. The survey sample was recruited to reflect provincial census data to ensure the sample reflected the province’s population in terms of age and gender.

The study found that in the previous 12 months, 77% of respondents reported that they had gambled at in-person venues exclusively. However, 54% of respondents had gambled online in the six weeks since emergency measures were declared, with one third saying they were influenced to gamble by COVID-19 and emergency measures. Those who reported gambling online had higher levels of moderate (8%) and high risk (13%) gambling.

The most popular practices to limit risky play included setting a money limit before starting to gamble (74%) and stoping to play if intoxicated (62%). There was low awareness of responsible gambling resources such as a helpline and self-exclusion program (below 50%, and often below 30%). Respondents indicated an interest in learning about the odds of winning a particular game, ways to keep gambling fun, and tips on time and money management while gambling.

Read the full report "The emerging impact of COVID-19 on gambling in Ontario" located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

A brief review of consumer credit use and gambling-related debts

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 13:30:00 GMT

This article is brief review of current evidence regarding consumer credit use and gambling-related debts. It shows that the use of consumer credit and debts are associated with more severe problem gambling. Debts contribute to poor mental health over and above the impact of problem gambling. Debts are also linked to negative effects on the family and illegal activities. Based on their review, the authors made recommendations as to how to move forward in terms of research, policy, and practice.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'A brief review of consumer credit use and gambling-related debts', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Developing an online gambling harm detection system in France

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 11:45:00 GMT

In this study, the researchers outline how they aimed to develop an online gambling harm detection system in France. They identified machine learning algorithms that could detect risk of experiencing gambling harm using demographic and behavioural data. Risk was based on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). The researchers developed an overall model combining all gambling activities and individual models for poker, sports betting, and horse racing. The results showed that the models based on vector support machines, a type of machine learning algorithms, were best at classifying people at moderate-to-high risk of harm (PGSI scores of 5 or greater) and people at high risk (PSGI scores of 8 or greater).

Read the two-page plain language article summary Developing an online gambling harm detection system in France in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Applying the total consumption model to gambling: An analysis of gambling account data

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 18:15:00 GMT

Gambling disorder is an important health issue that is linked with numerous psychological, social, and financial harms. However, most studies on gambling harm prevention have mainly focused on individual factors as the causes of gambling disorder. The total consumption model (TCM) proposes that the total amount of a product consumed in a population is closely related to the level of excessive use. Thus, instead of focusing on individual responsibility, insight into GD can be gained by looking at levels of gambling in the population. This study applied the TCM to population-level gambling data from Norway. The researchers examined data from 39,475 customers of Norsk Tipping, who were 18 years or older and had gambled at least once during the year 2019. Only data from people with net losses were analyzed. It was found that there was a positive relationship between the amount of gambling losses in the population and the extent of excessive gambling. This pattern was consistent across gender, age, and county of residence. This study found support for collective displacement, whereby gambling losses increased at all levels of gambling with increasing total amount of losses.

See the two-page summary ‘Applying the total consumption model to gambling: An analysis of gambling account data' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A review of current design features and utility patents for online sports betting

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:30:00 GMT

This article examines the structural characteristics of online sports betting, which is an increasingly popular form of gambling. A review of 26 published studies found that sports betting is an easily accessible, engaging, and continuous form of gambling. Its structural characteristics may spur people to make impulsive and risky bets and fuel gambling-related false beliefs.

An examination of eight utility patents suggests that online sports betting may soon include augmented reality, competition between peers, and highly specific personalized notifications. The implementation of these new features may increase the risk of harms associated with online sports betting. This research could be used by gambling researchers, policy makers, and regulators to keep pace with new trends in sports betting. It could also support policy makers and regulators to make changes to sports betting products to reduce risk.

See the two-page plain language article summary Structural characteristics of online sports betting: A review of current design features and utility patents in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Personalized messages can encourage monetary withdrawal among people who gamble on online casino games

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 19:00:00 GMT

The purpose of this study was to see whether personalized messages could help ‘nudge’ people to withdraw money from their online gambling account. The researchers used a dataset provided by the national Dutch Lottery operator, Nederlandse Loterij. This dataset included information on 4,049 customers. Each customer read at least one personalized message. There were two types of messages used, a ‘winning streak’ message and a ‘withdrawal’ message. The researchers examined the data using a matched-pairs analysis. About 38% of people who read the ‘winning streak’ message withdrew money from their gambling account on the same day. About 18% of people who read the ‘withdrawal’ messages withdrew money from their gambling account on the same day. People who read the personalized messages withdrew more money from their account compared to those who did not read any messages.

See the two-page plain language article summary 'Personalized feedback messages can encourage monetary withdrawal among people who gamble on online casino games' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A comparison of gambling risk before, during, and after the Australian COVID-19 lockdown

Wed, 15 May 2024 23:00:00 GMT

The purpose of this study was to compare gambling risk status before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdown in Australia in 2020. A total of 458 participants completed all three surveys which covered four time periods: before lockdown, during lockdown, one year post lockdown, and two years after lockdown. Compared with before lockdown, there was a decline in gambling participation overall and in participation in each gambling form during lockdown. There was also a decrease in the number of people who reported any problem gambling symptoms. After lockdown, gambling participation and having any problem gambling symptoms increased. During lockdown, restriction on the availability of certain high-risk gambling activities (e.g., electronic gaming machines (EGMs), casino games, and sports betting) was linked to transition from at-risk to non-problem gambling. Respondents who had no problem gambling symptoms during lockdown but were at-risk of problem gambling after lockdown were more likely to bet frequently on EGMs or to have decreased their frequency of online gambling. They also had higher stress, psychological distress, and loneliness.

See the research summary 'A comparison of gambling risk before, during, and after the Australian COVID-19 lockdown' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The co-occurrence of an eating and gambling disorder and their shared risk factors

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 19:45:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence of an eating disorder in 349 patients who sought treatment for gambling disorder. The researchers also examined which demographic, psychiatric and personality factors were associated with this comorbidity. Results revealed that 11.5% of the participants had both conditions. Eating disorders were more common in women. Participants with both conditions gambled more frequently, had more irrational gambling beliefs and were more impulsive. They were also more likely to be diagnosed with a psychiatric condition or have an addictive behaviour. Clinicians may benefit from screening for both conditions to ensure targeted treatment. More research is needed to examine this trend in other countries and at-risk populations.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'The co-occurrence of an eating and gambling disorder and their shared risk factors', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Gambling expansion and mental health in the Americas: A call for regulatory and policy reform

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:15:00 GMT

This article highlights the significant risks that the expansion of gambling may pose to public health in the Americas. The authors focus on the relationship between gambling and mental health outcomes. This article is important because it draws attention to the need for comprehensive public health strategies that focus on preventing and treating gambling-related harms. The authors argue that there is a critical gap in existing regulatory approaches, which tend to focus on individual responsibility instead of systemic population-based solutions.

See the two-page summary 'Gambling expansion and mental health in the Americas: A call for regulatory and policy reform' and full article in Greo's Evidence Centre.

'Thinking about thinking' is involved in addiction

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 19:45:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: This systematic review found positive associations between dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs and addictive behaviours. It appears that metacognitions promote harmful thinking styles and unhealthy coping strategies, which increase the odds of taking part in addictive behaviours. Almost all of the studies found in the review were cross-sectional; more longitudinal or experimental studies are required to examine the possible causal relationship of metacognition and addiction. Metacognitive therapy could be a promising treatment for people with addiction.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, ‘Thinking about thinking’ is involved in addiction', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

The impact of harm prevention messages presented in gambling advertising in Belgium and the Netherlands

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 15:15:00 GMT

It is unclear if harm prevention messages used in gambling advertising achieve their purpose. The researchers performed two experimental studies. The first study showed that a larger size version of the harm prevention message, “Gamble in moderation”, increased recognition. But it did not affect what people thought about the risk of gambling and their gambling intention. “Gamble in moderation” is a message commonly shown in gambling advertising in Belgium. The second study compared this message to other harm prevention messages. “Gamble in moderation” increased normative perceptions (e.g., most people gamble) and even gambling intentions among people at-risk of problem gambling. In contrast, people with at-risk gambling thought about the harms of gambling more after they saw the message “What does gambling cost you? Stop in time”.

See the two-page plain language article summary The impact of harm prevention messages presented in gambling advertising in Belgium and the Netherlands in Greo's Evidence Centre.

First study on harm associated with in-play betting in Ontario

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 23:00:00 GMT

This study is one of the first on in-play betting in Ontario, Canada. The data were collected shortly after the legalization of single-event betting, in-play betting, and the opening of the Ontario gambling market to private gambling operators in April 2022. This study was funded by a Research Grant independently managed by Greo, with funds from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

In-play sports betting allows people to make bets while a sports match is ongoing (e.g., which player will score next). In-play sports betting may be a particularly harmful form of gambling. The researchers examined demographic, psychological, and gambling-related characteristics of 920 Canadian adults who bet on sports. They found that people who made in-play bets were more likely to experience various psychological and gambling-related difficulties compared to people who made single-event or traditional sports bets.

See the two-page plain language article summary Examining the characteristics of people who make in-play sports bets in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Is the Garden State also the Gambling State?

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 14:15:00 GMT

A new study by Rutgers University shows that rates of disordered gambling in New Jersey may be up to three times higher than those outside of the state. Read more here.

Using objective gambling operator data to evaluate the risk of online gambling products

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 18:30:00 GMT

In this study, the researchers looked at whether self-reported gambling problems are related to differences in online gambling behaviour as measured by objective data provided by gambling operators. They also looked at whether this objective data can identify differences in the risk of gambling products. Objective data on online gambling participation, spending, and behavioural markers of harm (e.g., failed deposits) were provided to the researchers by Unibet.com. The data came from 21,464 people residing in Europe. These people completed the Problem Gambling Severity Index, a self-report measure of gambling problems, in 2023. Overall, people with self-reported problem gambling spent more days gambling, lost more money, and displayed more behavioural markers of harm than people with lower-risk gambling. Gambling operators could use objective behavioural markers to identify people who experience harms across their products and implement safer gambling policies.

See the two-page summary ‘Using objective gambling operator data to evaluate the risk of online gambling products' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

GREO announces partnership with the Gambling Commission

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 20:15:00 GMT

We are thrilled to announce GREO's new partnership with the Gambling Commission (Great Britain) to support its recently launched three-year National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms*.

When developing the strategy, the Gambling Commission looked worldwide for examples of excellence and recognized GREO as an international leader in mobilizing research evidence to reduce gambling harms. This is with good reason: a recent evaluation of GREO's work demonstrated that for every $1 invested, $2.41 of value is created. This demonstrates GREO's capacity to move forward harm reduction initiatives in an exceptionally cost-effective manner.

GREO's existing infrastructure and international relationships will provide a quick start to accelerate the National Strategy in Great Britain. This means that GREO will be working with the best thinkers around the world to reduce gambling harms. We are excited about this new opportunity and will keep you informed in the coming weeks and months.

What does this mean for Ontario?

While the work of GREO will continue, there will be change. The funding from the Gambling Commission will be used to provide services within Great Britain and to move forward their National Strategy. As we no longer receive provincial funding for Ontario-based programs, we are exploring partnerships that will sustain our community and provincially-focused work. Our commitment, as always, is to make information as accessible as possible to reduce gambling harms. For now, you can continue to access the Research Snapshots, white papers, infographics, videos, reports, peer-reviewed literature, and other evidence-based resources in our Evidence Centre free of charge. We also offer fee-based services such as reports, custom analyses, project management, and evaluation on request.

Please contact Erika Veri Levett (erika@greo.ca or 519-763-8049 x106) with these requests.

Looking Ahead

With change comes opportunity. We look forward to working with you to expand GREO's reach and make an even greater impact to reduce gambling harms in Ontario, Canada, and internationally.

*GREO's funding will be derived from regulatory settlements from gambling operators in Great Britain as assessed by the Gambling Commission. The monies represent restricted payments to GREO to accelerate progress towards delivery of the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms in Britain.

Impact of Spanish gambling regulations on online gambling and marketing

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 19:00:00 GMT

Gambling is a common recreational activity worldwide. However, there are personal and societal harms associated with gambling. Studies have revealed that marketing has negative influences on gambling behaviour. In Spain, the Royal Decree 958/2020 was introduced in 2020, placing restrictions on gambling marketing and strengthening consumer protection. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of these restrictions on online gambling behaviour and spending on marketing by gambling operators.

The researchers found that when advertising was restricted, it resulted in a decrease in new gambling accounts and the amount of money spent by people on gambling. However, there was no effect on the number of deposits or the number of active accounts. There was a large decrease in advertising spending overall, as well as decreases in bonus and sponsorship spending. But there was no effect on affiliate marketing. The findings suggest that restricting gambling advertising has meaningful effects on gambling behaviour.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'Impact of Spanish gambling regulations on online gambling and marketing' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Exploring the potential of player-tracking systems in reducing gambling-related harm

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

This article addresses the need to mitigate gambling-related harm through technological means. It explores the use of player-tracking systems to provide valuable insights into gambling behaviour and to facilitate harm reduction measures. By discussing practical and ethical considerations, the article contributes to the ongoing debate on the use of player tracking to detect and protect people from gambling-related harm. It also underscores the importance of using evidence-based approaches in policy decision-making.

See the research summary 'Exploring the potential of player-tracking systems in reducing gambling-related harm' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Greo publishes The Whole System Approach to Tackling Gambling Harms in Glasgow

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 21:45:00 GMT

This theory of change by Greo's evluation team articulates the different components of the Whole System Approach to Tackling Gambling Harms in Glasgow, the logical connections between them, and how the initiative will work in practice to achieve its goals. It is meant to be used by organizations, groups, and individuals in sectors impacted by gambling-related harms in Scotland.

Gambling-related harms are an under-addressed area of health and wellbeing in Scotland. Public Health Scotland has long advocated for the importance of addressing gambling-related harms with a cohesive public health approach. Glasgow City Council, in partnership with Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership and Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector, and with support from local and national partners, including Public Health Scotland, are piloting the Whole System Approach to Tackling Gambling Harms in Glasgow. This pilot project aims to support partners and stakeholders in Glasgow City to build a shared understanding of gambling participation, risks, and harms in local communities, and develop a community-engaged action plan to address these harms with local solutions. Learning from the project will inform the development of a comprehensive Scotland-wide approach to address gambling harms that balances a consistent national framework with community empowerment and local action plans.

To learn more about evaluation, see the Greo's Safer Gambling Evaluation Evidence Hub.

Gambling inducements influence sports betting behaviour and gambling-related decision-making in men

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 20:15:00 GMT

Gambling marketing often uses inducements, like free bet offers, to attract and retain customers. In this study, the researchers tested whether gambling inducements influence sports betting behaviour. They collected data online from 622 men under 40 years of age who had no history of treatment for problem gambling. Participants completed an online experiment that involved placing bets during the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship. They were randomly assigned to see bets either with or without inducements, and with market rate odds or low odds of winning. Participants were given €10 per betting choice task and could choose to either bet (and how much) or not bet at all on each of the six tasks presented to them. They also filled out some questionnaires, including the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Participants who were offered gambling inducements spent more money on bets and were less likely to opt out of betting compared to those who were not offered inducements. This effect was stronger for participants with higher PGSI scores (i.e., more severe problem gambling). Participants who were offered inducements were also more likely to take up bets with low odds, suggesting that inducements encourage decision-making errors. Policy makers should consider stricter regulations on gambling inducements.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'Gambling inducements influence sports betting behaviour and gambling-related decision-making in men' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Report Summary - Problem gambling, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and non-suicidal self-harm

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 21:00:00 GMT

This summarizes a report on a workshop with stakeholders to better understand current knowledge and gaps in knowledge on gambling-related suicide. The participants included researchers, clinicians, gambling operators, and people with lived experiences. Questions on current knowledge and gaps in knowledge on gambling-related suicide were discussed. The original report was prepared for GambleAware in Great Britain.

The participants identified gaps in research, public policy, and clinical practice. They also provided suggestions on how to address these gaps. Participants discussed what could be done now to increase knowledge of gambling-related suicide. Lastly, participants discussed how to make changes to better understand the nature and extent of gambling-related suicide.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Report Summary – Problem gambling, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and non-suicidal self-harm (Report 3)', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

A Guide for Helping People Experiencing Poverty: One of our Hubs in action!

Wed, 10 May 2017 13:45:00 GMT

Our Hubs are doing wonderful work! Please read more about what St. Michael's Hospital's Centre for Urban Health Solutions has been up to here.

A review of gambling advertising on social media and its effects

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 14:00:00 GMT

This article is a review of recent studies focusing on gambling advertising on social media. The article addresses this critical and rapidly evolving issue. Gambling advertising on social media poses significant challenges for regulators, policy makers, and public health professionals. Social media provides a low-cost and effective platform for gambling companies to reach wide audiences through entertaining and interactive content. This ease of access makes it difficult for regulators to monitor and control advertising practices effectively, especially given the subtle nature of marketing strategies involving influencers and user-generated content. This article provides valuable insights that can inform research and regulations.

See the article summary 'A review of gambling advertising on social media and its effects' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The relationship between gambling and homelessness

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 13:45:00 GMT

This review looks at the relationship between gambling and homelessness. Gambling in the homeless population is quite prevalent. The relationship is bi-directional. This means that homelessness can be a risk factor for gambling or a consequence of gambling. In many cases, poverty seems to increase the likelihood of gambling, because for people with low socio-economic status backgrounds, even a small win may change their life for the better. Knowing this, services could identify gambling issues in homeless populations and provide appropriate support.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'The relationship between gambling and homelessness', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

The impact of gambling problems on quality of life in New Zealand and Australia

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 17:30:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: This study found that the quality of life of problem gamblers in New Zealand (NZ) declined by 54%. Quality of life declined by a smaller degree for moderate-risk (37%) and low-risk gamblers (18%). Gamblers in NZ had larger declines in their quality of life compared to Australian gamblers at the same levels of gambling severity. The impact on quality of life for problem gambling in NZ was comparable to that experienced in severe alcohol use disorder.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'The impact of gambling problems on quality of life in New Zealand and Australia', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Biases in self-reported deposits compared to actual deposits in online gambling

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 23:45:00 GMT

People may be inaccurate when reporting their gambling behaviour. The purpose of this study was to compare the self-reported amount of money deposited with the actual amount deposited. The researchers also examined whether feedback about the actual amount deposited had an impact on any further monetary deposits. The researchers analyzed the data of 639 people who gambled online. This dataset was provided by a European online gambling operator. It included self-reported estimates of how much money one deposited. It also included information about actual gambling behaviour, such as how much was deposited, number of active gambling days, and how much money was withdrawn. The findings showed that most people estimated how much they deposited in the last 30 days fairly accurately. People who deposited higher amounts of money were more likely to underestimate how much they deposited. There were no significant differences between men and women in their accuracy. Younger people were more likely to overestimate their deposits than older people. After receiving feedback about how much money they deposited, people reduced their subsequent deposits. This happened regardless of whether they underestimated, overestimated, or correctly estimated the amount of money they deposited.

See the two-page plain language article summary Biases in self-reported deposits compared to actual deposits in online gambling in Greo's Evidence Centre.

What are the digital responsibilities of sports betting companies?

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 16:00:00 GMT

Concerns have been raised about the digital technologies adapted by sports betting companies. For instance, people who are vulnerable to developing problematic gambling behaviours may be targeted by online advertisements. In addition, the ease of placing bets using digital technologies may make it difficult for people who already struggle to control their gambling. Customer information, such as credit card and personal information, are at risk of being hacked in an online environment. Customers must also trust the company with their personal and credit card information. As a result, many people have argued that these companies have a duty to protect people who could be harmed by gambling.

Read the article summary What are the digital responsibilities of sports betting companies? in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Best practices for the prevention of problem gambling among older adults

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 20:30:00 GMT

This article presents best practices for the prevention of gambling problems among older adults. The best practices are organized into nine areas, including: 1) entertainment options; 2) education content; 3) onsite support; 4) development and implementation; 5) information delivery and location; 6) format for information delivery; 7) style or language; 8) target audience; and 9) gambling policy and staff training. The best practices are offered to enhance current practices and stimulate further research in the field.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Best practices for the prevention of problem gambling among older adults', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Developing warning messages for lottery gambling based on theory and practice

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:30:00 GMT

Lottery gambling can become a problem for some people. This article reviews theoretical models and existing practice to guide the development of lottery ticket warning messages. The goal is to design persuasive messages that target people at risk of harm from excessive spending to promote behaviour change. The researchers identified nine social marketing campaign initiatives. Campaign messages were relatively consistent with certain aspects of theoretical models. The researchers proposed warning messages that could be used to promote safer gambling, based on the insights gained from the review and content analysis.

See the two-page summary ‘Developing warning messages for lottery gambling based on theory and practice' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Development of a preliminary set of lower-risk limits for gambling in Sweden

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:45:00 GMT

The purpose of this study was to identify a set of lower-risk limits for gambling in Sweden. This study also examined which types of gambling were associated with harm beyond the influence of gambling consumption indices (i.e., gambling frequency, duration, and spending). The researchers used data from two previous online survey studies in Sweden. The data from a total of 705 adults who gambled in the past year were used in the analysis.

The researchers identified a preliminary set of lower-risk limits for gambling in Sweden. They suggested the following potential limit ranges: (1) gambling frequency between “2–3 times a week” and “4+ per week”; (2) gambling duration between 6 and 15 hours per month; (3) gambling spending of 2,000 SEK per month (approximately $190 USD); and (4) gambling spending of 5% of personal net income. Engaging in just one higher risk gambling type was linked to increased risk of gambling-related harms. In particular, the researchers noted that gambling on slots and sports betting were linked to increased risk of gambling-related harms.

See the two-page summary ‘Development of a preliminary set of lower-risk limits for gambling in Sweden' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

'Fair' machine learning models for detecting at-risk online gambling

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 20:45:00 GMT

Machine learning is an area of artificial intelligence that focuses on how models can learn through experience with data. These models show promise for promoting safer gambling in online gambling. However, whether these models can treat people fairly remains unclear. The goal of this study was to explore the performance and fairness of three models for identifying harmful gambling.

The data came from surveys of people gambling online as well as account data from a provincial-owned gambling website in Canada. The researchers found that, if the goal was to identify as many people with high-risk gambling as possible, then the ‘classification parity model’ performed the best. Yet, none of the models could be considered truly fair across all the performance metrics that were measured. The researchers suggest that models tested on-site with large samples could reach a higher degree of fairness.

See the two-page summary ‘Fair’ machine learning models for detecting at-risk online gambling' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Greo seeking new members to join Board of Directors

Mon, 31 May 2021 20:45:00 GMT

Greo is looking for new members to join the Board of Directors in summer 2021.

Greo is emerging as a global business-to-business non-profit consultancy that delivers research, evaluation, evidence, and stakeholder engagement services. By joining Greo, you can help accelerate our growth across jurisdictions, in new sectors, and new client types. You will be building on twenty-year track record of success and a well-established global reputation.

For more information see our Join Us page.

Relationships between personality disorders, suicidal behaviours, and problem gambling severity

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 14:30:00 GMT

This study analyzed data from a large community sample of adults in the United States. Compared to non-gamblers, the rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts were higher in those at-risk of or who were experiencing problem gambling. People who were at risk of or had problem gambling also showed higher rates for a wide range of Axis II personality disorders. There was a stronger relationship between problem gambling severity and personality disorders in people with no suicidal behaviour than in those with suicidal behaviour. Among people with no history of suicidal thoughts or attempts, those with more severe problem gambling were more likely to have any personality disorder.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Relationships between personality disorders, suicidal behaviours, and problem gambling severity', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Evaluating the impact of tax rates on channelling online gambling toward the regulated markets in Europe

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:45:00 GMT

This study examined the link between channelling rates and tax rates across 29 European countries. The researchers used data on tax rates, channelling rates, and controls such as policies on blocking offshore websites. Overall, the findings show that there are different approaches to gambling taxation across the countries. There are also different approaches to gambling taxation across product groups. Channelling rates increased in Europe from 2015 to 2021. Overall, there was a decrease in offshore market shares. The researchers noted that this decrease might be mostly due to the growth of the onshore market between 2015 and 2021. Higher taxation rates were not linked to lower channeling rates within Europe. The results suggest that higher tax rates may sometimes be associated with more effective channelling. The researchers conclude that higher taxation is not likely to push gambling toward offshore markets.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'Evaluating the impact of tax rates on channelling online gambling toward the regulated markets in Europe' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

What is the impact of gambling marketing by social media influencers on children and young people?

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 18:00:00 GMT

Children and young people under 25 years old are vulnerable to gambling promotions delivered by social media influencers. The authors reviewed 41 studies that looked at exposure to gambling-related influencer marketing and its impact on gambling attitudes and behaviour in this age group. The studies generally showed that children and young people are frequently exposed to gambling-related content through influencers. This exposure normalizes and encourages gambling. The authors also identified features of gambling-related influencer marketing (e.g., interactive livestreams, culturally relevant content) that contribute to positive attitudes towards gambling and increase gambling behaviour. The findings of this review suggest stricter regulations and more effective interventions to protect children and young people from gambling-related harms.

See the two-page summary ‘What is the impact of gambling marketing by social media influencers on children and young people?' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling Harm Reduction Funding Call - Network to Reduce Gambling Harms in Great Britain

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 19:15:00 GMT

The Community Investment Programme provides funding to initiatives in Scotland, England, and Wales prioritising at-risk and underserved populations.

It aims to:

Build capacity and increase community resilience to gambling-related harm

Address needs around gambling harm prevention, education, and treatment

Embed prevention and support for gambling harms into existing programmes, policies, and services

To learn more about applying for funding, see Greo's Network to Reduce Gambling Harms Programming page.

**To be eligible for funding principal applicants must be based in Great Britain. Small organisations and / or first-time applicants are encouraged to apply.

Research to segment people in the United Kingdom based on their relationship with seeking advice, tools, and support

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 20:15:00 GMT

This slide deck by YouGov presents research to segment people in the United Kingdom based on their relationship with seeking advice, tools, and support for harmful gambling. The research was commissioned by GambleAware to better target communication and services to audiences. The research involved interviews, an online survey, and a seven-day online community. Seven segments were identified: self-helpers, tool seekers, informal support seekers, formal support seekers, non-seekers (low level), non-seekers (leisure), and non-seekers (reluctant). Detailed profiles of each segment are provided along with quotations from people about what tools they have used before and what tools they would find helpful.

Some overall key audience considerations include:

Focus on gambling reduction (vs. abstinence)
Promote the range of support available and emphasize how these can be used together to quit or reduce gambling
Communicate anonymity/confidentiality
Use stories of lived experience to inspire success
Ensure support is available for affected others and that it is well promoted

See the slide deck GambleAware: Segmentation 2023 linked in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Responsible gambling is coming to Inverness!

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 13:45:00 GMT

In the United Kingdom, the Association of British Bookmakers in Scotland is reportedly set to partner with leading sportsbetting operators Ladbrokes and William Hill to launch a responsible gambling education program in the northern Scottish city of Inverness.

Gambling behaviour: What can bank transaction data tell us?

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 20:00:00 GMT

New in the Evidence Centre: This report is the first of two reports that uses bank transaction data to study gambling behaviours. A key factor in reducing harmful gambling is understanding gambling behaviours. Self-report methods risk misrepresenting gambling behaviour. Bank transaction data can offer more objective insight into behaviours. For example, it can provide accurate records of when a person deposits money into an online gambling account. This includes the amounts and frequency.

The goal of this project was to understand financial impacts experienced by people who gamble. The project also aimed to determine what bank transaction data can tell us about gambling behaviors. The researchers partnered with two banks in the UK to examine customer transaction data and gambling.

See the report Gambling behaviour: What can bank transaction data tell us? A feasibility study. Part 1: Analysis of Monzo customer data, and Part 2: Analysis of HSBC UK customer data by The Behavioural Insights Team in Greo's Evidence Centre.

"Losses disguised as wins" lead people to overestimate gambling wins

Sat, 19 Aug 2023 11:15:00 GMT

“Losses disguised as wins” (LDWs) are a common feature in electronic gambling machines (EGMs). LDWs occur when a net gambling loss (e.g., wagering $1 and receiving a payout of 75 cents) is celebrated with sounds and animations in a manner similar to true a win. LDWs may be a harmful EGM feature. Research suggests that LDWs may lead people to overestimate the number of wins they experience when gambling.

In this study, the researchers aimed to support previous research on LDWs in a large sample of 940 Australian adults. Participants watched a video of 10 different wagers being made on an online slot machine game. They were assigned to either a control condition in which they saw only true wins and losses, or an LDW condition in which they saw three LDWs along with true wins and losses.

The researchers found that participants in the LDW condition overestimated the number of wins compared to participants in the control condition. This effect was found in people at low and high risks of gambling harm. These results suggest that LDWs may cause people to believe they are winning money when they are losing. Therefore, to minimize gambling harms, the LDW feature can be regulated. LDWs are not an essential feature of EGMs. Gambling policy makers can use these findings to highlight the importance of removing or decreasing the presence of LDWs in EGMs.

See the two-page plain language article summary Losses disguised as wins” lead people to overestimate gambling wins: An Australian study with a large online sample in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Language guide: 12 ways to reduce stigma when discussing gambling harms

Wed, 17 May 2023 15:15:00 GMT

In April 2023, UK charity GambleAware launched a new campaign to address sitgma surrounding gambling harm. Associated with the campaign, they produced this guide which gives examples of language to use or avoid when talking about gambling harms. GambleAware provides 12 key aspects of language to consider when discussing gambling harms, such as:

using person-first language
emphasizing underlying drivers of harm
avoiding paternalistic language

The guide is intended for anyone who works in the gambling sector, including gambling companies, government, health bodies, researchers, and support or education professionals. It is the result of an analysis by a cultural insight agency specialising in language analysis and further refined by GambleAware, a peer-reviewer, and those with lived experience.

See 12 ways to reduce stigma when discussing gambling harms – a language guide linked in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Also see Campaign to reduce the stigma associated with gambling harm: Summary of background research and data insights in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Higher density of gambling venues associated with a higher risk of suicide in the US

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 18:45:00 GMT

Previous research has found a strong link between problem gambling, suicide attempts, and suicide death. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between casino density and risk of suicide in US counties. The researchers used data for 3,131 US counties from 50 US states. This dataset spanned 17 years (2000–2016). The overall sample included 53,227 county-year units.

The researchers found that a total of 527,401 people died by suicide in the 3,131 US counties from 2000 and 2016. On average, each county-year had 1.3 casinos and 1.4 other gambling venues. Casinos and other gambling venues were heavily concentrated in Nevada. Overall, exposure to casinos and other gambling venues was linked with an increased risk of suicide mortality. An increase in the number of casinos per 100,000 population was linked with a 1.6% increase in suicides. The number of other gambling outlets was also linked with suicides. But this link was weaker than that for casinos.

See the two-page plain language article summary A higher density of casino and other gambling venues is associated with a higher risk of suicide in the United States in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling Commission publishes The Path to Play framework

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 18:00:00 GMT

The Gambling Commission in Great Britain has published new research to understand the gambling consumer journey. The goal is to examine how consumers experience gambling, what factors influence them, where there may be greater risks for certain people who gamble, and also opportunities for intervention. The results will be used as a framework to apply to policy decisions and future research. The gathering of data involved in-depth interviews, digital diaries, and a quantitative survey. The resulting six stage framework of the ‘path to play’ represents key milestones and stages people go through when they gamble. It shows both typical paths, as well as how paths can differ based on context.

The information covers:

Key influences at each stage of the journey
The impact of different types of gambling activities
Implications for people at higher risk of gambling harm
The role and impact of operator and marketing communciations
The role and impact of safer gambling messages and interventions

See the full results of the Path to Play research on the Gambling Commission's website.

New White Paper - Gambling Among the Military & Veterans

Thu, 18 May 2017 14:15:00 GMT

A new white paper on gambling among the military and veterans was just posted today. Please click here to access a PDF of the white paper.

NatCen to evaluate the credit card ban for gambling in Great Britain

Mon, 31 May 2021 20:15:00 GMT

Earlier this year, Greo held an invitation to tender for the evaluation of the credit card ban in Great Britain, which came into effect on April 14, 2020. We are pleased to announce that NatCen Social Research has been selected to evaluate the credit card ban. NatCen will assess the progress that has been made towards achieving the intended outcomes of the ban, whether the ban was implemented as intended, any unexpected positive or negative impacts, and opportunities to modify it in the future (if indicated). The project is scheduled for completion in early 2023.

To see more about evaluation, visit Greo's Safer Gambling Evaluation Evidence Hub.

Greo is hiring a Research Analyst

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 15:45:00 GMT

Greo Evidence Insights is seeking a Research Analyst to join our team. The successful candidate will work to support stakeholder-informed and evidence-based policies, programs, and practices within the health and well-being sectors. This is a competitively compensated, full-time, remote position.

Reporting to the Chief Research Officer, the primary responsibilities of this role include:

Synthesizing evidence by applying systematic approaches and developing content for knowledge products such as research reviews.
Providing support for literature searches, the inclusion and exclusion of peer-reviewed articles, extracting key information, and summarizing results into clear, concise information for diverse audiences.

See the full job positing on our Join Us page.

The impact of the RG Check program on improvements at casinos

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 23:30:00 GMT

Responsible gambling (RG) programs usually involve a mix of corporate policies, employee training, and gambling product features. Third-party organizations can help evaluate performance against a set of design and operational standards. One example of a third-party assurance program is the Responsible Gambling Council’s RG Check program. This study examined how casino operators’ responsible gambling performance changed after entering the RG Check program. The researcher used de-identified assessment scores of 75 land-based casinos that were assessed between 2011 and April 2019. A total of 17 venues completed three accreditations, 43 completed two accreditations, and 15 completed one accreditation.

The findings suggest that venues improved their overall RG Check score between their first and second accreditations. Much of this improvement seemed to be due to improvement of the lower-performing venues. Some areas measured by the RG Check program improved over time (e.g., venue/game features and access to money). Other areas improved only in the short-term after starting the program (from the first to the second accreditation only, e.g., RG policies and employee training). The areas of self-exclusion, assisting patrons, and advertising and promotion did not improve over time. Additionally, informed decision making declined over time.

This study uses data from the Greo Scholars Portal Dataverse. The Greo Dataverse contains research-grade gambling datasets that are available for research purposes. See more information on Greo's Data Repository page.

See the two-page plain language article summary The impact of evaluation by a third-party responsible gambling assurance program on improvements at casinos in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The lived experience and views of gambling among children and young people

Wed, 15 May 2024 23:15:00 GMT

This report describes qualitative research conducted to explore the lived experiences of gambling and gambling-related harms among children and young people in the United Kingdom. The project was completed by research consultants for the UK charity GambleAware. Participants consisted of three groups: children under 11 years old, affected others aged 7 to 25, and vulnerable youth people aged 11 to 17. The research involved in-depth interviews, focus groups, and workshops.

Recommendations include:

An updated definition of gambling to include a wider range of online activities.
An awareness of gambling harm that includes harm related to excessive engagement with online gambling or gambling like elements within online games.
Regulation to ensure that gambling operators explicitly state that the content is not for children and young people.
Gambling harms awareness campaigns targeted to children and young people that acknowledge that gambling is harmless for many people and that it is prevalent in everyday life.
Encouraging open conversation about gambling and increasing the number of places that children and young people can access support.
Interactive in-person education of children in schools (led by young people with lived experience) and social media content with stories from young people with lived experience.

See the research summary 'Qualitative research on the lived experience and views of gambling among children and young people' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The role of mental health in the relationship between gambling and suicidal ideation

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 20:30:00 GMT

Gambling can have a negative impact on mental health and increase the risk of suicide. This study examined the differences in terms of gambling severity, mental health, and suicidal ideation between people undergoing treatment for gambling disorder and the general population. It also tested the role of mental health in the relationship between gambling severity and suicidal ideation. The results show no differences between the general population and those with gambling disorder in terms of mental health. But participants with gambling disorder were more likely to have suicidal ideation. The relationship between gambling severity and suicidal ideation appeared to be mediated by mental health: People experiencing more severe gambling problems had poorer mental health, which increased the likelihood of suicidal ideation. This was observed for both the general population and people with gambling disorder.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'The role of mental health in the relationship between gambling and suicidal ideation' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Experts' opinions on gaps and needs regarding voluntary self-exclusion in seven jurisdictions

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

The purpose of this study was to assess gaps and needs around current self-exclusion regulations and programmes in seven jurisdictions. A total of 102 experts from Finland, Germany, Italy, Massachusetts (United States), Norway, Sweden, and Victoria (Australia) were surveyed. These experts worked within the research community, addiction help and care services, prevention, the regulatory body, and the gambling industry. The experts agreed on the need for and importance of VSE programmes. But they stated that current VSE regulations are not sufficient and suggested improvements. Representatives from the gambling industry also emphasized individual responsibility.

See the two-page summary 'Experts’ opinions on gaps and needs regarding voluntary self-exclusion in seven jurisdictions' and full article in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Call for minimum changes to the design of gambling websites to limit harm

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 13:45:00 GMT

In a policy note titled Redesign gambling websites to reduce harm: Five recommendations for immediate action, UK-based global social purpose organization The Behavioural Insights Team calls for minimum changes to the design of gambling websites to limit harm. The recommendations are the result of an audit they conducted of the top 10 gambling operators in the UK. The call is in response to the major changes in how people gamble that have occured over the past decade. Each recommendation was selected based on its potential benefits to consumers, the existing evidence for what works to reduce gambling harm, and its ability to be implemented quickly.

The five recommendations are that:

People should be able to unsubscribe from marketing in one click and not be contacted regarding additional products or by sister companies.
People should receive regular email communication regarding their account activity, such as receipts or security alerts for log-ins from another device.
People should be able to easily access gambling management tools, which are evidence-based, and have no promotional advertisements visible while reading about or setting up a tool.
People should be able to close an account as easily as they were able to open an account.
Operators should be required to contribute to testing of what works and sharing their results publicly.

Read the policy proposal in full on The Behavioural Insights Team's website.

National Survey on Gambling Attitudes and Gambling Experiences (NGAGE) Trends Dashboard

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 13:45:00 GMT

This data dashboard presents the findings of the third National Survey on Gambling Attitudes and Gambling Experiences (NGAGE 3.0) conducted early in 2024. The survey was commissioned by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) in the United States, and conducted by Ipsos, a market research and public opinion polling company. The survey was designed to assess gambling behaviour and attitudes before and after the legalization of sports betting in many U.S. states. The survey was also designed to identfy changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic as opposed to longer term trends. The survey was not designed to formally assess the prevalence of gambling participation or problem gambling. The results from two previous surveys were published in 2018 and 2021.

Results of the 2024 survey are presented in detail in this dashboard, with results provided in chart form for each question. Questions can be filtered to refine results shown by state, sex, or age group. The aim is to increase awareness around gambling, and use the data to identify needs for problem gambling prevention programs and to promote safer gambling.

See the NGAGE Trends Dashboard

Discretion and policy capacity development in the implementation of a gambling harm reduction policy

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 21:00:00 GMT

This study used the street-level bureaucracy (SLB) framework to examine the implementation of a local pilot project for the prevention of problem gambling. The researchers examined whether and how operators of the policy used their discretion to modify the policy at the implementation stage. They also examined how these actions helped the operators to develop policy capacities. The project, “Time is money”, was launched in Turin, Italy. The study involved interviews with eight key actors involved in the project and participant observations at three gambling venues. The researchers identified strategies that operators used to adapt the original policy. Operators demonstrated analytical capacities: they critically assessed and fine-tuned policy actions to fit the situation and achieve desired outcomes. The researchers described the process of the development of analytical capacities over time, involving problem identification, reflective inquiry, adaptation strategy, and feedback.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'Discretion and policy capacity development in the implementation of a gambling harm reduction policy' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Is frequent use of social media linked with alcohol use and gambling problems?

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 14:15:00 GMT

This study explored how active use of social media may be associated with alcohol use and problem gambling among adults. The researchers surveyed a group of Finnish adults over three years. They found that weekly users of Facebook and TikTok tended to use alcohol more hazardously than non-weekly users. Also, people who increased their Facebook use over time tended to drink alcohol more hazardously. People who were involved in online gambling communities or used TikTok weekly were also more likely to develop gambling problems than non-weekly users. Interestingly, weekly Instagram users were less likely to engage in heavy alcohol use. These findings indicate that various social media platforms can affect users in distinct ways. Understanding their impact on different types of users is essential for anticipating and mitigating potentially harmful effects.

See the article summary 'Is frequent use of social media linked with alcohol use and gambling problems?' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The effects of short- and long-term voluntary self-exclusions on gambling

Tue, 23 May 2023 23:15:00 GMT

Gambling operators are required to implement responsible gambling tools to help people who gamble. One such tool is voluntary self-exclusion (VSE). This tool allows people to exclude themselves from a gambling platform for a chosen amount of time. The researchers analyzed a real-world sample of UK adults who gambled on online casino games and opted for a VSE. Most of the people (75%) who took a short-term VSE gambled again afterwards. Most people (99%) who took a long-term VSE did not return to gamble. People who returned to gamble on the same platform did not change the amount of money they wagered. The researchers identified several factors associated with a higher chance of returning to gamble after a VSE.

See the two page plain language article summary The effects of short- and long-term voluntary self-exclusions on gambling in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A review of programs that aimed to reduce or prevent gambling harm

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 16:00:00 GMT

This mapping review published in Lancet Public Health identified previous reviews of programs that aimed to prevent and reduce gambling harm. The researchers collected input from a UK-based advisory group of people with lived experience of gambling harm, and sought feedback from representatives from UK clinical practices, charities, and universities. The authors searched online databases for systematic reviews. They found 30 articles looking at either programs for an entire population or programs targeted to people at risk of harm. The authors noted that evidence for most programs is weak. There is a lack of evidence about whether these programs are useful over a long period of time. The authors also noted a lack of screening programs and programs to provide ongoing support for people after their treatment.

See the two page Research Snapshot 'A review of programs that aimed to reduce or prevent gambling harm' in GREO's Evidence Centre.

First Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines published in Canada

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction has published the first Lower-risk Gambling Guidelines, which provide a set of measurable limits and information to aid in promoting lower-risk gambling. The associated report contains information on at-risk populations, contextual factors, and other health messages. The report also summarizes key findings of research that supported the development of the guidelines. It provides recommendations for limiting gambling including:

Don't gamble more than 1% of monthly household income.
Only gamble four days per month.
Limit gambling to no more than two types.

Exploring betting patterns among highly involved and less-involved people who bet on sports online over time

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 14:00:00 GMT

This study explored online sports betting dynamics over a two-year period. It focused on high involvement and changes in betting behaviour as risk factors for gambling problems. The researchers analyzed data from a large European gambling platform. The results showed that people who were highly involved in terms of number of bets and net loss were more likely to continue gambling over time, compared to people who were less involved. People who were highly financially involved in terms of net loss and amount wagered were more likely to self-exclude. Increases in betting frequency and bet size were found to predict self-exclusion, even when controlling for high involvement. This highlights the need to address escalation in betting in harm reduction strategies.

See the article summary 'Exploring betting patterns among highly involved and less-involved people who bet on sports online over time' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Is mobile gambling among youth a warning sign for problem gambling?

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 17:00:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: This article examines the prevalence of mobile gambling among youth and its association with at-risk gambling. Participants were 6,818 high school students, aged 10 to 19 years, who completed a survey. Almost one-third of the adolescents reported gambling during the past year, and 5% reported having gambled on a mobile device. Regular gambling on a mobile device (at least monthly) increased the risk of developing a gambling problem and engaging in other forms of gambling. Being female, being younger, and perceiving higher parental disapproval of gambling were associated with less frequent mobile gambling in the past year. The results suggest that underage mobile gambling may be a warning sign of problem gambling among youth.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Is mobile gambling among youth a warning sign for problem gambling?', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Greo Impact Report 2020-2025

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:30:00 GMT

Greo’s Impact Report (2020–2025) marks five years of collaborative work to advance gambling harm minimization through evidence. It also reflects Greo’s 25-year legacy as a trusted evidence partner in the field. Inside, you’ll find eight stories of impact from Greo’s work across Canada, the United Kingdom, and other jurisdictions. Together, they show what is possible when evidence is connected to real-world needs. The report also looks ahead, reflecting how Greo’s approach can support work in gambling and other areas where evidence is needed to understand risk, reduce harm, and improve wellbeing.

See Greo's Impact Report page.

A comparison of the evolution of gambling policy across four Nordic countries

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 19:15:00 GMT

This comparative case study explores gambling policy and its evolution across four Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden). Policy documents from 2000 to 2024 were analyzed. The researcher examined the development of gambling policy in formal decision making venues (i.e., national parliaments). The institutional arrangements already in place and the new challenges posed by online gambling influence how gambling policies evolve and differ across the four countries. There are two approaches to the organization of public governance systems with respect to gambling: (1) all gambling regulation falls under the same ministerial department (Norway); (2) the regulation of gambling policy involves the coordination and integration across different sectors (Denmark, Finland, and Sweden). According to the researcher, the national regulation of gambling policy (without regional or global approaches) is unique, especially given how online gambling is “borderless.” This likely stems from the lack of agreement on what “good governance” in gambling should be like.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'A comparison of the evolution of gambling policy across four Nordic countries' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

How did the 'whistle-to-whistle' ban in the UK affect gambling advertisements on TV?

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 20:45:00 GMT

This study examined the impact of the UK's 2019 'whistle-to-whistle' ban on the frequency and placement of gambling advertisements during live football broadcasts. The researchers compared data covering three months from September to December in 2018 before the ban and in 2019 after the ban. They analyzed different sections of live football game broadcasts (pre-game, 5 minutes before, half-time, and post-game).

In 2018, there were 5.8 gambling advertisements per game, which dropped to 2.9 in 2019 after the ban. The decrease was most notable during half-time and during 5 minutes before a game. There was a slight increase in gambling advertisements in the pre-game section. While the ban reduced the number of gambling advertisements during the restricted sections partial bans may be less effective in reducing overall exposure to gambling advertising.

See the two-page summary 'How did the 'whistle-to-whistle' ban in the UK affect gambling advertisements on TV?' and full article in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Are people who gamble on electronic gaming machines aware of responsible gambling/harm minimization measures?

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 19:15:00 GMT

Responsible gambling/harm minimization (RG/HM) measures are designed to mitigate gambling-related harms. In this study, the researchers analyzed survey data from 2,808 Canadians who gambled on electronic gaming machines (EGMs) to assess their awareness and perceived impact of RG/HM measures. The researchers found that while most participants were aware of RG/HM measures, awareness was higher among people with problem gambling and those at risk for problem gambling. Men, younger people, and those who viewed gambling as an important leisure activity were more likely to be aware of these measures. The findings suggest a need for more effective implementation and communication of RG/HM measures.

See the article summary 'Are people who gamble on electronic gaming machines aware of responsible gambling/harm minimization measures?' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

First seven days of gambling activity after account registration predict future high-risk gambling behaviour

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 18:45:00 GMT

Online gambling has increased significantly over the past 20 years. In contrast to land-based (e.g., casino) gambling, online gambling allows the tracking of player data. Online gambling operators have access to information about various gambling characteristics, including amount of money and time spent gambling, and number of monetary deposits per gambling session. This study examined whether player tracking data within the first week of registration on an online gambling website could predict future high-risk gambling in the 90 days afterwards. The researchers had access to a large dataset from a European online gambling operator.

The results suggested that various characteristics (e.g., age, gender, number of deposits, and amount of money deposited) were associated with future high-risk gambling. The researchers concluded that future high-risk gambling can be predicted based on the information collected during the first week after registering with an online gambling operator. This study has implications for the development of preventive measures for online gambling websites. It also suggests a need to monitor gambling behaviour at an early stage to prevent problem gambling.

See the two-page plain language article summary Can the first seven days of gambling activity after account registration predict future high-risk gambling behaviour? in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Greo to Develop Canada's First Clinical Practice Guidelines for Problem Gambling in Youth

Fri, 01 May 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Greo Evidence Insights, with funding from Health Canada, is developing Canada’s first clinical practice guidelines to support the early identification, screening, assessment, and treatment of problem gambling among young people. Funded through Health Canada’s Youth Mental Health Fund, this 24-month project addresses a major gap in the mental health landscape: there are currently no evidence-based clinical guidelines to support mental health service providers working with young people experiencing gambling-related harm.

To ensure the guidelines are relevant and inclusive, they will reflect the experiences of diverse populations, including young men, Indigenous youth, and ethnic minority communities. The initiative will be guided by a collaborative governance structure that includes an advisory group providing strategic oversight; working groups reviewing evidence and drafting the guidelines; a diverse group of practitioners and interest holders who contribute community perspectives; and an independent panel of experts who will peer-review the draft guidelines.

Read more about the Greo-led development of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Problematic Gambling in Youth

World Health Organization's new fact sheet on gambling

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 20:45:00 GMT

This fact sheet by the World Health Organization summarizes key facts about gambling and gambling harm globally. The fact sheet briefly outlines the scope of harm, who is at most risk of harm, signs and symptoms of gamblind disorder, what drives transmission of gambling and harm, and prevention and treatment of harm. The World Health Organization states the need for countries to monitor and regulate gambling operations effectively. This includes actions to prevent and reduce harm such as reducing stigma and shame related to gambling, and ending advertising and promotion. Initiatives by the World Health Organization involve leading the creation of diagnostic tools for gambling disorder for people in countries outside North America and sharing some lessons learned around gambling regulation. This is important to support countries where commercial gambling activity is rapidly increasing, especially low- and middle-income countries.

See the World Health Organization's Gambling fact sheet linked in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A review of the risks and ethical considerations associated with AI use in the gambling field

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 21:00:00 GMT

In this review, the researchers discussed the findings from 16 studies on the risks and ethical considerations associated with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the gambling field. They identified six common themes across the studies: explainability, exploitation, algorithmic flaws, consumer rights, accountability, and human-in-the-loop. Most studies focused on AI use for consumer protection, with little attention on its use for the commercial interests of gambling companies. Most studies also focused on AI use in virtual gambling environments, even though AI use differs significantly in land-based casinos. The findings can be used by gambling operators, regulators, and people who gamble to understand the risks and ethical concerns related to AI use in the gambling field.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'A review of the risks and ethical considerations associated with AI use in the gambling field' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The relationship between probability discounting and gambling problems

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 15:45:00 GMT

This article reviewed studies examining the association between probability discounting and gambling. It also evaluated the effect sizes obtained from the studies. Effect size is a measure of the strength of the relationship between two factors (here, probability discounting and gambling). The findings suggest that people with more severe gambling problems have shallower probability discounting. That is, people with more severe gambling problems are more likely to favour rewards with lower odds of occurrence. Gambling treatment providers could consider how to alter thought patterns related to probability discounting.

Read the two-page plain language research summary 'The relationship between probability discounting and gambling problems', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

A review of online gambling limit-setting policies in 30 European countries

Mon, 19 May 2025 23:00:00 GMT

Online gambling is associated with problem gambling and harms, highlighting the importance of improving its regulation. In this review, the authors looked at policies concerning online gambling limit-setting in 30 European countries. Data were collected from August to September 2024. Of the 30 countries, 27 had limit-setting policies in place. These policies varied widely and included those that mandated operators to offer or require that customers set limits on losses, deposits, wagers, maximum stakes, and time spent gambling. Germany was the only licence-based system with a system-level limit-setting policy that applied to their entire online gambling market. The authors recommend several practices, including system-level limit-setting policies and lower limits for vulnerable groups (e.g., young people). Policy makers can use the findings to improve and enforce online gambling limit-setting policies to protect people from gambling-related harms.

See the two-page summary 'A review of online gambling limit-setting policies in 30 European countries' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Do limit-setting tools help reduce online gambling intensity?

Tue, 12 May 2020 21:00:00 GMT

Online gambling has become very popular. About 5% of people who gamble online experience harm from gambling. Some online gambling operators offer their customers tools that may help reduce their risk of problem gambling. For example, limit-setting tools allow a gambler to limit the amount of money they can spend with that gambling operator. This study tested how effective limit-setting tools are in reducing gambling intensity.

The researchers found that only 1.3% of online gamblers used the limit-setting tool. Overall, people who set limits did not spend less money on gambling over time. However, high-intensity gamblers who set limits did spend less over time. Therefore, limit-setting tools may help people who gamble intensely to reduce their gambling.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Do limit-setting tools help reduce online gambling intensity?', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

The impact of investment in gambling marketing and regulatory changes on online gambling behaviour in Spain

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:15:00 GMT

The purpose of this study was to examine the link between how much the gambling industry spends on marketing each month and the amount of money bet online, as well as the number of online accounts in Spain. The researchers also examined the impact of marketing restrictions (set by the new Spanish gambling law, the Royal Decree 958/2020) on the link between marketing and online gambling behaviour. Publicly available data from the Directorate General for Regulation of Gambling (DGRG) between 2013 and 2023 were used in this study.

Between 2013 and 2023, the industry’s spending on advertising, sponsorship, and bonus promotion increased. But the greatest increases happened before the approval of the RD 958/2020. In general, greater spending on marketing (advertising, bonus promotion, and sponsorship) was linked to more active and new accounts, greater deposits, and a greater total amount bet. The RD958/2020 reduced the impact of most marketing strategies on gambling behaviours (including the number of active and new accounts as well as total amount bet). However, spending on bonuses became more strongly linked with active accounts, deposits, and total amount bet.

See the two-page summary 'The impact of investment in gambling marketing and regulatory changes on online gambling behaviour in Spain' and link to the full article in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Skill-based video game gambling on the way to a casino near you!

Fri, 05 May 2017 18:30:00 GMT

Skill-based video game gambling is coming to a casino near you. Read more about it here.

A scoping review of dark patterns in online gambling

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:30:00 GMT

There have been growing concerns about harms related to online gambling. Modern forms of online gambling are continuing to evolve with the introduction of new technologies. Dark patterns are design choices that guide behaviour in a potentially negative way. Unfortunately, they are prevalent on gambling websites. The researchers conducted a scoping review of dark patterns in online gambling. They mapped the identified dark patterns into five categories: sneaking, obstruction, interface interference, forced action, and social engineering. There is a lack of evidence on the impact on gambling behaviour, as research is hindered by restricted access to data from gambling operators.

See the two-page plain language summary 'A scoping review of dark patterns in online gambling' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Predicting problem gambling with machine learning models: Insights from player tracking data across three countries

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 14:00:00 GMT

In this study, the researchers used player tracking data to evaluate whether behavioural indicators could predict problem gambling using machine learning models. The data were obtained from 1,743 adults from the UK, Canada, and Spain who played online casino games. The researchers found that behavioural indicators (e.g., frequent deposits within a session) were more important than monetary indicators (e.g., total amount of money gambled) in predicting problem gambling. The five machine learning models employed in this study showed promising results in predicting problem gambling. Including country-specific data improved their accuracy. Nevertheless, the models performed well even without training using country-specific data. The findings suggest that there are behavioural indicators that can be used across diverse contexts to identify problem gambling.

See the article summary 'Predicting problem gambling with machine learning models: Insights from player tracking data across three countries' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

GREO releases new Conceptual Framework of Harmful Gambling

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 20:30:00 GMT

Through an international collaboration with gambling research experts, GREO facilitated the creation of a comprehensive Conceptual Framework of Harmful Gambling. Originally published in 2013 and revised in 2015, the framework was revised and expanded in 2018 to take into account the latest research.

The framework is intended to serve as a guide for the development of research programs and to educate policy makers on issues related to harmful gambling. It reflects the state of knowledge of factors that influence harmful gambling, and moves beyond a symptoms-based view of harm to address population risk, community influences, and societal effects.

Explore the interactive version of the framework, or download the complete Conceptual Framework (PDF). Please send any questions or feedback about the framework to info@greo.ca.

Understanding the co-occurrence of buying disorder and gambling disorder

Fri, 11 Jan 2019 21:15:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: This study examined personality traits and other risk factors for the presence of buying disorder (BD) and gambling disorder (GD). It involved 127 patients who all had symptoms of BD. Of those 127 patients, 24 patients also had GD. The results revealed that males and patients with a later age of onset were more likely to have both BD and GD. Having harm-avoidant personality traits (e.g., being fearful, anxious, or pessimistic) also predicted the presence of both BD and GD. A later age of onset also affected the relationship between certain personality traits (novelty seeking, harm avoidance, and self-directedness) and the presence of both BD and GD. Patients who were low on these personality traits tended to have a later age of onset, which increased the likelihood of having both BD and GD.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Understanding the co-occurrence of buying disorder and gambling disorder', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Young people's gambling-related experience during major sports events: A Euro 2024 diary-study

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 21:30:00 GMT

This research report explores young people’s attitudes, beliefs, and engagement in gambling-related activities surrounding the UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament. The goal was to better understand what young people in the United Kingdom enjoy, what concerns they may have, any changes they would like to see, and the potential influence of this exposure to the tournament on their gambling behaviour. The researchers conducted interviews, a diary study, and workshops to gather qualitative data. Participants were 40 young people aged 16 to 24, split into two age groups: 16 to 17-year-olds and 18 to 24-year olds.

Findings include:

Young people reported encountering gambling marketing during the tournament, especially through social media channels. Some expressed concern about the normalization of gambling, especially related to major sports events.
For 16 to 17-year-olds, gambling behaviours generally remained the same as before the tournament. However, for 18 to 24-year-olds, those who reported gambling regularly indicated that they increased their gambling activity during the tounament.
Internal impulses (e.g., for fun, excitement, financial gain, to test knowledge of sports) and external triggers (e.g., observing peers and influencers gambling) often increased young people's motivation to gamble.
Young people expressed concerns about the regulation of gambling advertising, addressing misconceptions about gambling, and safer gambling.

See the full report 'Young people's gambling-related experience during major sports events: A Euro 2024 diary-study' linked in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The history of gambling harm as a public health issue

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 19:45:00 GMT

Gambling harm is a public health issue. However, many initiatives do not use public health strategies to prevent and reduce gambling harm in different populations. In this article, the authors explore how public health views of gambling harm have changed over time. They review gambling research from 1990 to 2020. The authors, including Greo's Margo Hilbrecht, describe how this research has impacted public health research, policy, and programs across the world. Researchers, policy makers, and prevention and treatment service providers can work together to advocate that gambling harm is a public health issue. The authors also suggest more collaboration to gather data for health assessment and surveillance.

Read the two page Knowledge Snapshot 'The history of gambling harm as a public health issue' in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Online casino gambling and live sports betting are associated with problem gambling and being over-indebted

Tue, 02 Jun 2020 20:00:00 GMT

This study found high rates of problem gambling and moderate-risk of problem gambling in Swedish online casino gamblers, and even higher rates among those who gambled on both online casino and live sports betting. People who participated in these two gambling activities were most likely to have been over-indebted (e.g., not able to pay bills). Those who participated in online casino gambling also expected themselves to be over-indebted in the near future. Having problem gambling was associated with greater mental health distress and alcohol use problems. In contrast to previous research, problem gambling was more common in women than men.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Online casino gambling and live sports betting are associated with problem gambling and being over-indebted', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

The link between personality and problem gambling

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 19:30:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: This study examined the influence of personality on gambling. The researchers used the HEXACO personality model. They found that young adults with high honesty-humility were more likely to be non-gamblers. These individuals also reported less severe gambling problems. In contrast, young adults with low conscientiousness and agreeableness had more severe gambling problems. The personality traits showed unique motivational pathways that led to gambling problems. These results may be useful in developing effective prevention and treatment programs.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'The link between personality and problem gambling', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Online gambling trade associations use responsible gambling codes of conduct to influence regulation

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 14:00:00 GMT

This article examines how and why online gambling trade associations have developed responsible gambling codes of conduct. Overall, the author argues that trade associations have used responsible gambling codes of conduct at moments of opportunity. They seek to shape their members’ regulatory environment. They also aim to circulate a particular understanding of how gambling-related risks should be regulated. The author argues that responsible gambling remains the ethical underpinning for gambling regulation. But there is growing consensus that a public health approach is critical in preventing and minimizing gambling-related harm.

See the two-page plain language article summary Online gambling trade associations use responsible gambling codes of conduct to influence regulation in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Debt stress partly links problem gambling and mental health problems

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 21:00:00 GMT

Both problem gambling and debt stress are linked to financial and mental health harms. However, the relationship between gambling, debt stress, and mental health is unclear. It is possible that debt stress provides the link between excessive gambling and poorer mental health. This study surveyed Australian adults who had gambled in the past month and assessed their gambling behaviour, debt stress, and mental health and wellbeing. How frequently someone gambled was not associated with debt stress. However, debt stress partly explained the relationship between problem gambling and mental health. Debt stress may be a useful indicator to identify underlying gambling and mental health problems in primary healthcare settings.

Read the two-page summary and the full article in GREO's Evidence Centre.

The fiscal costs and benefits of problem gambling: Towards better estimates

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 11:30:00 GMT

This report from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research examines the fiscal costs and benefits of gambling in the United Kingdom. The research is based on data from the UK Wealth and Assets Survey and the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey. The fiscal cost per person experiencing problem gambling was approximately £3,700 per year compared with people experiencing ‘at-risk’ gambling. The number of people experiencing problem gambling was 0.7% of the total UK population (over 16 years old) or about 380,000 people. Based on these numbers, the total fiscal cost associated with harms from problematic gambling was estimated at £1.4 billion per year. However, this figure does not include harms to affected others through for example, debt, family breakdown, and suicide. One recommendation by the authors is that clear screening diagnostics to detect people experiencing problem gambling are added in the next rounds of the Wealth and Assets Survey.

Read the report The fiscal costs and benefits of problem gambling: Towards better estimates linked in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Online gambling and its consequences: A comparison across two cohorts in Sweden

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 13:45:00 GMT

The purpose of this study was to compare online gambling and associated harms across two cohorts of adults who sought help from the Swedish National Gambling Helpline. The first cohort was recruited in 2019 and included 185 adults. The second cohort was recruited in 2023 and included 122 participants. Both cohorts completed an online survey. Participants in the 2023 cohort reported more intense gambling than those in the 2019 cohort. Online electronic gambling machines (EGMs) were the most common form of gambling. Many participants in both cohorts experienced gambling-related harms and co-occurring mental health issues, such as depression, with increases in the 2023 cohort. People who gambled on online EGMs were more likely to experience harms.

See the two-page summary ‘Online gambling and its consequences: A comparison across two cohorts in Sweden' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Public stigma towards Armed Forces personnel experiencing gambling-related harm

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:30:00 GMT

Gambling-related harm among Armed Forces (AF) personnel is a growing concern. Stigma is a significant barrier to seeking help for gambling-related harm. Thus, understanding public perceptions of gambling-related harm among AF personnel is crucial. The researchers recruited 386 adults living in the UK for an online experiment. Participants were presented with one of four vignettes. The vignettes featured either an AF service member or a civilian experiencing gambling-related harm or gambling without experiencing harm. Participants perceived an AF service member experiencing gambling-related harm as more dangerous than a non-AF civilian experiencing gambling-related harm. Empathy did not differ between the AF and non-AF vignettes. Regardless of military or civilian status, participants expressed higher stigma when the vignette described a person experiencing gambling-related harm. These results suggest that public stigma towards gambling-related harm is strong and shaped by military status.

See the two-page plain language summary 'Public stigma towards Armed Forces personnel experiencing gambling-related harm' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Losses disguised as wins may encourage problem gambling behaviour

Fri, 11 Jan 2019 21:15:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: Losses disguised as wins (LDWs) are a feature of multi-line slot machine games that result in players winning less than the amount they bet. The researchers investigated if experiencing different percentages of LDWs during a game could affect the persistence of gamblers of different risk statuses. They recruited 132 gamblers between 18 and 54 years old. Participants first played 100 spins on a slot game with a low, moderate or high number of LDWs. After the 100 spins, participants could continue to play for as long as they wanted, but all their spins resulted in losses only. Participants of higher-risk gambling status (i.e., having more severe gambling problems) persisted in gambling for longer if the game had a moderate number of LDWs compared to a low or high number. This finding suggests that slot machine games with a moderate number of LDWs may encourage people with gambling problems to keep playing for longer even when they are losing money.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Losses disguised as wins may encourage problem gambling behaviour', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Comparing disordered gamblers with and without obsessive compulsive personality disorder

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 19:30:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: This cross sectional study compared disordered gamblers with and without obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). Differences between these groups were found. Specifically, the comorbid group had lower gambling severity and a slower progression from recreational gambling to the onset of gambling disorder. They also played card games less often and were less likely to report gambling related consequences. However, they reported more substance use problems. Researchers may want to build upon the existing body of research on this comorbidity.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Comparing disordered gamblers with and without obsessive compulsive personality disorder', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Regulations, behaviours, and psychosocial problems related to sports betting around the world

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 13:30:00 GMT

This systematic review examined cross-cultural differences in regulations, behaviours, and psychosocial problems related to sports betting. A total of 65 articles were included in the review. The authors found that research on marketing and promotion of sports betting is more common in Australia and the United Kingdom. Sports betting is becoming normalized. Psychosocial problems do not differ by country. Sports betting is linked with higher levels of problem gambling. Eastern countries, such as China and South Korea, tend to have more legal restrictions on sports betting than other countries (e.g., Australia and United States).

Read the two-page plain language article summary A systematic review of regulations, behaviours, and psychosocial problems related to sports betting around the world in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A rapid review of the influence of family on gambling behaviours

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:00:00 GMT

This rapid review explored the influence of family on gambling. A total of 36 studies published between 2018 and 2024 were examined. The findings revealed that family significantly impacts gambling behaviours through two aspects: family environment in childhood and family environment in adulthood. Gambling might become normalized within the family and increase the risk for harm. This risk is also influenced by family characteristics such as parental relationship, household income, and domestic violence. Family can also mitigate gambling-related harm, and involving family in therapy can be beneficial.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'A rapid review of the influence of family on gambling behaviours' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A systematic review of general practitioners' practices, knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding gambling disorder

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 20:45:00 GMT

This systematic review examined clinical practices for managing gambling disorder (GD) and problem gambling in primary care, and the factors that influence these practices. It highlights several barriers to screening for and treating GD in primary care. The findings note that no general practitioners (GPs) routinely screened for GD and very few (7–14%) treated GD themselves. Some GPs had negative attitudes towards GD, including attributing gambling-related harms to personal weakness. This review emphasizes the importance of increasing GPs’ knowledge about gambling-related harms and care pathways. It suggests several areas for improvement related to the training and practices of GPs with respect to treating patients with GD. More research is needed on screening modalities for GD in emergency departments, brief interventions, and referral pathways.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'A systematic review of general practitioners’ practices, knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding gambling disorder' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling taxes as a public policy tool

Fri, 31 May 2024 19:30:00 GMT

This article discusses the economic and social dimensions of gambling and the use of taxes as a public policy tool. The author discusses three aspects: (1) the economic and social costs and benefits of legalized gambling; (2) country practices in taxation of the gambling sector; and (3) the role of taxes in regulating the gambling industry. This article is important because it highlights the dynamic and complicated nature of the gambling sector. It also discusses the conflict-of-interest relationship that governments must balance. While governments could benefit economically from gambling (i.e., through tax revenues and tourism), they also must consider the social costs associated with gambling.

See the article summary 'Gambling taxes as a public policy tool' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Access to problem gambling support services in rural vs. urban counties in the United States

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 20:30:00 GMT

It is important to understand the differences in access to problem gambling support services between rural and urban communities. The purpose of this study was to examine the link between rurality and access to support services for problem gambling in the United States at the county level. The researchers collected data from two public sources in 2023, including data on certified gambling counsellors from the International Gambling Counselor Certification Board (IGCCB) and Gamblers Anonymous (GA) meeting rooms. The researchers used the assigned Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCCs) and the United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service County Typology Codes to indicate the rural status of counties.

The dataset included 3,220 counties across the 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. A total of 1,235 counties were identified as urban, 1,340 as micropolitan rural, and 645 as remote rural. The findings indicate that both micropolitan rural counties and remote rural counties had higher per capita access to gambling counsellors and GA meeting rooms where such services existed. But there was also a much higher likelihood that rural counties had no such services available at all.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'Access to problem gambling support services in rural vs. urban counties in the United States' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

New report: Evaluation of the credit card ban for gambling in Great Britain

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 14:30:00 GMT

The credit card ban for gambling in Great Britain has been evaluated in a report by The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen). The report, Evaluation of the credit card ban for gambling in Great Britain assessed the impact and effectiveness of the ban. Greo’s evaluation team provided third-party management and commissioned NatCen Social Research to conduct the evaluation.

Great Britain was the first country to implement a complete ban on credit card use for online and offline gambling (apart from non-remote lotteries) in April 2020. The ban prohibits licensed gambling operators from accepting payment by credit card, including payments through a money service business. The credit card ban was designed to add friction to the process of gambling with borrowed money, adding a layer of protection for people at increased risk of gambling-related harms.

Read the full media release about the Evaluation of the credit card ban for gambling in Great Britain.

Are problem gambling and problem gaming more common in elite athletes?

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 17:30:00 GMT

This study explored problem gambling and video gaming in Swedish elite athletes. Participants were 352 individuals who had participated in national team in their sport and applied for a scholarship for university studies. The rate of problem gambling was 7% among the participants. This rate was somewhat higher than that in the general population in Sweden. Problem gambling was much more common in male athletes than in female athletes; 14% of male athletes had problem gambling compared to 1% of female athletes. The rate of problem gaming was 2% among the participants. This rate was similar to that in the general population. Elite athletes with gambling problems were more likely to have gaming problems compared to those without gambling problems.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Are problem gambling and problem gaming more common in elite athletes?', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Global prevalence of gambling and problem gambling among adults and adolescents

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:15:00 GMT

This article published in the Lancet Public Health provides updated estimates of the prevalence of gambling among adults and adolescents across the globe. It also examines the prevalence of gambling across different gambling activities and provides estimates of any risk and problem gambling. This is helpful for policy makers in identifying the scale of gambling-related issues and understanding the proportion of the population that might experience harms.

See the two-page summary 'Global prevalence of gambling and problem gambling among adults and adolescents' and full article in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Launch of the Lived Experience Research Hub

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 16:00:00 GMT

The inclusion of lived experience in gambling research is vital in ensuring more equitable, inclusive, and effective outcomes. However, finding the right partners with the right skills can be difficult and time consuming. A new website funded through the Academic Forum for the Study of Gambling brings together lived experience experts and researchers to improve research standards.

The Lived Experience Research Hub (LERH) brings together three services:

Matching service: A new tool to help both researchers and lived experience experts find and connect with one another to collaborate on research projects
Lived Experience Access Fund (LEAF): A funding programme that supports people with lived/living experience of gambling harm, enabling active participation in research, training, conference travel, and other related capacity-building opportunities
Minimum Standards Framework (MSF): A set of guiding principles to which researchers should adhere to provide adequate care, support and opportunity to those with lived experience of gambling harm.

The LERH is a collaboration between the Academic Forum for the Study of Gambling (AFSG), GamLEARN, King's College London, and Greo Evidence Insights.

First Gambling Survey for Great Britain - Annual report: Official statistics

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 21:45:00 GMT

This report presents statistics from the first Gambling Survey for Great Britain. The survey was conducted by the National Centre for Social Research, in collaboration with the University of Glasgow, and was commissioned by the Gambling Commission (the gambling regulator in Great Britain). The aim was to better understand gambling participation, motivations for gambling, and the consequences of gambling. In total, 9,804 adults completed the survey between July 2023 and February 2024.

Key findings include:

48% of adults (aged 18 and over) participated in gambling in the past four weeks (27% excluding people who only participated in lottery).
Young people (aged 18 to 34) had higher scores on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) than other age groups.
People who had gambled on online slots were more than 6 times as likely than all of those who had gambled in the past 12 months to have a PGSI score of 8 or more, indicating problem gambling.
The most severe consequence from gambling was breakdown of relationship(s) (1.6%), among people who had gambled in the last 12 months.
Of adults who had gambled in the past 12 months, 3.2% had sought support because of their gambling.

See the Gambling Survey for Great Britain linked in Greo's Evidence Centre. Also see further information and data on the Gambling Commission's report release page.

The majority of gambling problems in Australia are caused by electronic gaming machines

Wed, 17 May 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Gambling opportunities have increased considerably in Australia. Although gambling participation, frequency, and spending vary widely across people who gamble, research suggests that electronic gaming machines (EGMs) are a highly risky form of gambling. Research indicates that specific features (e.g., fast speed of play and audiovisual feedback) contribute to differences in risk levels between gambling forms. In this study, the researchers examined the relative risk of available forms of gambling in Australia.

The researchers also aimed to evaluate the relative contribution of each form on the total burden of harm of gambling problems in the Australian population. The researchers analyzed data from six state-based gambling prevalence surveys and one national survey in Australia. They found that EGMs contributed to over 50% of gambling problems in Australia. They also found that casino table games were equally as risky as EGMs. Casino games, however, were found to contribute less to gambling problems due to low participation. These results suggest that EGMs have the greatest burden of harm on the population. This research can be used to inform gambling policy.

See the two page plain language article summary The majority of gambling problems in Australia are caused by electronic gaming machines in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A review of research using behavioural data provided by gambling operators

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 15:15:00 GMT

This article provides a comprehensive review of the use of objective behavioural data provided by gambling operators in research in the past 15 years. The researchers reviewed 58 studies. The review suggests significant progress in research involving objective gambling data, such as the development of behavioural markers that can distinguish people at higher risk of harm. The findings also highlight various gaps in current research. Few studies have combined objective behavioural data with self-report data to achieve robust statistical results. Additionally, there is a need for further research on how objective gambling data can be used to identify higher-risk gambling products and monitor gambling harms.

See the two-page plain language article summary A review of research using behavioural data provided by gambling operators in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Public Health England publishes comprehensive review of gambling-related harms in England

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 15:30:00 GMT

Public Health England has published the first evidence review of its kind looking at gambling-related harms in England. The review includes the most comprehensive estimate of the economic burden of gambling on society to date. It reveals that the harms associated with gambling cost at least £1.27 billion in 2019 to 2020 in England alone. The review consists of a series of six reports that cover:

the prevalence and determinants of gambling and harmful gambling
the harms associated with gambling
the initial impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on gambling
stakeholder perspectives of gambling-related harms the social and economic burden of gambling

Read the report, Gambling-related harms: evidence review.

The impact of gambling-related advertising: An umbrella review

Wed, 17 May 2023 15:15:00 GMT

Gambling advertising can increase gambling-related harms. This article summarizes research evidence on the impact of gambling advertising. The authors conducted an umbrella review of previous systematic reviews. A total of eight systematic reviews were included in the umbrella review. The reviews included a total of 74 unique studies, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies. Overall, the reviews found evidence of a ‘dose–response effect’. People who are exposed to more gambling advertising are more likely to feel positively about gambling. They are more likely to feel that gambling is a normal activity. They are also more likely to intend to gamble. People who are at higher risk of gambling-related problems are more aware of and more exposed to gambling advertising. Children and adolescents who see more gambling advertising have a high recall of the advertising and the brands being advertised. Those at risk of gambling problems also report a desire to gamble when viewing such advertising.

Read the two page plain language summary The impact of gambling-related advertising: An umbrella review in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Lived experiences of affected others: Qualitative research

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:00:00 GMT

This research report explores the experience of affected others of people who struggle with gambling in Great Britain. The national gambling regulator, the Gambling Commission, had Humankind Research conduct interviews with 25 affected others. The study provides context for data from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB). The GSGB found that 9% of adults in Great Britain are identified as affected others. Interviews examined what being an affected other means in day-to-day life, its development over time, the role of gambling environments, relationship dynamics, and the reasons affected others rarely seek help.

Link to the report 'Lived experiences of affected others: Qualitative research' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Four recommendations for improving the success of gambling education programs for teenagers

Thu, 19 Dec 2019 19:30:00 GMT

Problem gambling rates are higher in teenagers than adults. Further, gambling education programs are not effective at changing teenagers’ gambling behaviour. In this article, the authors provide four recommendations for delivering gambling education programs so that they are more effective at changing teenagers’ gambling behaviour, including explaining factors involved in development of problem gambling, correcting misconceptions about gambling, and teaching about gambling mathematics using animations. This review is intended for researchers and problem gambling prevention service providers. The recommendations provided in this review could be evaluated to confirm whether they improve the effectiveness of gambling education programs.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Four recommendations for improving the success of gambling prevention programs for teenagers', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Underage gambling in Europe

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 16:45:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: In 2015, about 22.6% of 16-year-old students in Europe gambled. Similar rates of online and offline gambling were reported. Although, rates of gambling varied across countries. Students who gambled were more likely to report substance use, skipping school, going out at night, and playing sports. Students who did not gamble were more likely to report reading for leisure, and parental monitoring. Considering the high occurrence of underage gambling in Europe, policy makers could consider stricter gambling regulations.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Underage gambling in Europe', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Exploring the link between gambling marketing and unplanned gambling spend in Britain

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 20:30:00 GMT

Gambling marketing is linked to increased intentions to gamble, gambling behaviours, and gambling spend. The authors of this article examined the link between unplanned gambling spend and gambling marketing among people who gambled in Britain. The researchers used data from two British online surveys. The first survey involved emerging adults aged 16–24 years old. The second survey involved adults who regularly bet on sports. In both samples, almost a third of participants said that marketing caused them to have unplanned gambling spend. Among people who experienced problem gambling, almost 9 in 10 said that marketing prompted unplanned gambling spend. Thus, the severity of problem gambling was linked to unplanned gambling spend. Receiving at least one form of direct marketing in the past month and following a gambling brand on social media were also linked to unplanned gambling spend. Being aware of marketing in the last month was not linked with unplanned gambling spend.

Read the two-page plain language article summary Exploring the link between gambling marketing and unplanned gambling spend in Britain in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A review of the prevalence of Internet Gaming Disorder in adolescents

Fri, 11 Jan 2019 21:00:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: This article is a review of published studies on Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in adolescents. A total of 16 studies were found that reported prevalence estimates of IGD (i.e., the percentage of adolescents with IGD in a study). Across the studies, it was estimated that about 4.6% of adolescents experienced IGD (one in 20 adolescents). IGD was more common in males than females. Prevalence estimates were higher if the studies used DSM criteria for pathological gambling to assess gaming symptoms and examined gaming disorder rather than IGD. Estimates were also higher if the studies were performed in the 1990s, from Asia or North America, and had less than 1000 participants. It is hard to determine the trends and patterns of IGD. Reasons include the use of different methods to assess IGD and small numbers of participants in some studies. More research is needed to improve on these limitations.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'A review of the prevalence of Internet Gaming Disorder in adolescents', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

A review of the association between gambling problems and suicidality

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 00:30:00 GMT

Past research suggests that gambling problems are associated with suicidality (suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide). The researchers of this study reviewed 107 studies on the association between gambling problems and suicidality. They found a lifetime prevalence rate of 31.6% for suicidal ideation and 13.2% for suicide attempts among people with gambling problems across the studies. Both suicidal ideation and suicide attempts were more likely to be experienced by people with gambling problems. But the lack of longitudinal research limited conclusions about the causal direction of this association.

See the two-page plain language article summary 'A review of the association between gambling problems and suicidality' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

AI ethics in a controversial industry: The case of gambling

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 17:00:00 GMT

With the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI), concerns have been raised over its use in controversial industries, such as gambling. The gambling industry lacks consistent guidelines on how AI should be used and how it affects people who gamble. This study explored AI ethics within the gambling context. The researchers conducted 33 in-depth interviews with service providers, industry consultants, operators, academics, regulators, and non-profits.

The interviews revealed three key themes: ‘exploiting the players’, ‘acknowledging biases and oversights’, and ‘reaching out for guidance’. Few respondents indicated that their organization currently has guidelines for AI in place. Based on the findings, the researchers developed “Gambling’s Ethical AI Paradox”. This theory addresses both the risks and benefits of AI. It highlights knowledge and collaboration, education, and regulations as crucial for addressing the risks of AI in gambling.

See the two-page summary 'AI ethics in a controversial industry: The case of gambling' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Association between Internet Gaming Disorder and mental health

Fri, 11 Jan 2019 21:00:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: This article reviewed 24 studies that examined the association between Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and mental health. IGD was linked to many mental health problems including anxiety, depression, ADHD or hyperactivity symptoms, social phobia/anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Males were more likely to have IGD than females. There was a lack of studies that examined IGD and mental health over time. It is hard to tell if IGD leads to mental health problems, if mental health problems result in IGD, or if IGD and mental health problems share a common cause.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Association between Internet Gaming Disorder and mental health', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Examining unemployment as a risk factor for gambling disorder using national registry data

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Unemployment rates are high among people with gambling disorder. This study looked at paid and unpaid unemployment as a risk factor for future gambling disorder (GD). Paid unemployment referred to when a person received financial aid after losing their job. The researchers found that more days of unpaid unemployment increased the chance of developing GD. Having more days of paid unemployment was also found to increase the odds of developing GD, with the effect much stronger among men than women.

See the two-page summary ‘Examining unemployment as a risk factor for gambling disorder using national registry data' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The link between problem gambling and suicidality among young people in Great Britain

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 19:00:00 GMT

This research examined the link between problem gambling and suicidality among young people. The researchers recruited 3549 participants from an online panel. The results revealed that suicidality and gambling were prevalent among men and women. Across both genders, there was a relationship between problem gambling and suicide attempts. In other words, those who admitted attempting suicide were more likely to have problem gambling. Even after taking other factors into consideration, such as anxiety, impulsivity, life satisfaction, and loneliness, this relationship was still strong. These results suggest that young people who display problem gambling are at risk for suicide.

Read the two page Research Snapshot 'The link between problem gambling and suicidality among young people in Great Britain' in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Don't Bet Your Life On It: A player-led safer gambling campaign

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 20:15:00 GMT

Gambling-related harms are increasingly recognised as a significant public health issue in Great Britain. The vast majority of those experiencing gambling harms remain unidentified and without support. Don't Bet Your Life On It (DBYLOI) blends lived experience and clinical expertise to deliver practical safer gambling strategies virtually for players that can be accessed anytime and anywhere to prevent any life from being needlessly affected by gambling-related harm. It is designed to support players at any level of play by providing players with a “seat belt” to prevent harms from occurring, identify early signs of risk, and signpost those experiencing harms to get the help they need.

This theory of change visual and narrative considers the inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes necessary to achieve these goals. It can be used by organizations, groups, and individuals in any sector impacted by gambling related harms in Great Britain.

See the theory of change Don't Bet Your Life On It: A player-led safer gambling campaign in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A scoping review of mental health factors associated with cryptocurrency trading

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 21:30:00 GMT

Cryptocurrency trading has become increasingly popular. However, there are concerns over its effects on mental health. Studies indicate that anxiety and depression are common among people who trade cryptocurrency. In this study, the researchers summarized evidence from studies on cryptocurrency trading and mental health. A total of 13 studies were included in the review. It was found that social media plays a significant role in trading behaviour, encouraging herd mentality and impulsive trading. Many people who trade cryptocurrency show cognitive biases and addiction-like behaviours in trading. People who trade cryptocurrency are also at a greater risk of anxiety and depression, as well as engaging in problem gambling behaviour and substance use. These findings offer important information for the creation of intervention and treatment programs.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'A scoping review of mental health factors associated with cryptocurrency trading' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Melco Organizes Leadership Forum on Responsible Gaming

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 13:00:00 GMT

As part of its continuous effort to reinforce a responsible gaming culture and to provide further education and understanding of responsible gaming to employees, Melco held a leadership forum at City of Dreams. Read more about it here.

Supporting clients with gambling related debt

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 12:00:00 GMT

This briefing summarizes key insights and recommendations from GamCare’s Gambling Related Financial Harm workshop on supporting clients with gambling-related debt. The workshop built on the latest data from the National Gambling Treatment Service, which found that 6 out of 10 people accessing gambling treatment had debts due to gambling. Recommendations are organized by support, training, and tools for the credit sector, the debt advice sector, the gambling support sector, and cross-sector. These recommendations include training for staff in all sectors on recognizing the signs of gambling-related harm and what debt-related support options are available.

Read GamCare's briefing Supporting clients with gambling related debt linked in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Report Summary - Loneliness is associated with problem gambling and suicidality

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 20:45:00 GMT

This summary outlines part two of a three-report series on gambling and suicide in England for GambleAware. The report explored if loneliness and other factors affect the relationship between problem gambling and suicidality.

A secondary analysis of a large representative survey of UK adults found that loneliness was associated with suicidality. This relationship existed when other important factors were taken into account. These factors included age, gender, substance use, social support, and mental health concerns. Problem gambling was associated with suicide attempts independent of loneliness. Women were also more likely to report lifetime suicide attempts than men. Helping people with problem gambling increase their social supports and address feelings of loneliness may help reduce the risk of suicide attempts. People who are in regular contact with individuals who gamble problematically should be aware of the risk of loneliness and suicide in this population.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Report Summary – Loneliness is associated with problem gambling and suicidality (Report 2)', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Stakeholders' perspectives on 'moderation' in gambling advertising after changes to Sweden's gambling legislation in 2019

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Sweden adopted a new Gambling Act in 2019. A legal requirement is that gambling advertising should be ‘moderate’. The purpose of this study was to examine stakeholders’ views on the notion of ‘moderation’ in gambling advertising. The researchers collected data from 2019 to 2022, including 12 interviews with participants from various stakeholder groups (government, media, industry, and mutual support associations), as well as 6 seminars and 3 press conferences. The researchers identified three main themes: (1) how moderation should be interpreted (i.e., content vs. volume); (2) the importance of guidance around moderation in gambling advertising; and (3) balancing advertising restrictions and freedom of trade/freedom of expression.

See the article summary 'Stakeholders’ perspectives on ‘moderation’ in gambling advertising after changes to Sweden’s gambling legislation in 2019' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Key research priorities for disordered gambling and the need for independent research funding in the UK

Thu, 19 May 2022 20:15:00 GMT

The National UK Research Network for Behavioural Addictions (NUKBA) was established to identify unmet research and treatment needs for behavioural addictions in the UK. In this article, the authors discuss research and treatment services for disordered gambling in the UK. They describe issues with how gambling research is currently funded. The authors then outline six key research priorities as identified by NUKBA.

Read the article summary Key research priorities for disordered gambling and the need for independent research funding in the UK in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Who bets on micro events (microbets) in sports?

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 20:45:00 GMT

This study looked at the connection between problem gambling behaviours and betting on micro events in sports. Placing this type of bet is strongly linked to problem gambling behaviours such as making impulsive bets and placing a larger number of bets than other gamblers. Gamblers completed a survey on their demographics and gambling behaviours, and researchers looked for patterns that connected those behaviours to microbetting. They found that microbetting is far more popular among people with gambling problems than people with few or no gambling problems. The researchers believe that microbetting should be banned because it is most appealing to people with problem gambling issues and may cause those people more harm.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Who bets on micro events (microbets) in sports?', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

New Greo report: Proposed methods for estimating costs of mental health in Canada (2007-2020)

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 19:30:00 GMT

Greo has published a new report Proposed Methods for Estimating Costs of Mental Health in Canada (2007-2020). The report summarizes a review of studies that estimate the costs of mental health in Canada since 2010, details the various approaches used in those studies, and proposes a new approach that includes cost types, the level of detail of the estimates, and how to treat missing/incomplete data.

The proposed approach to estimating the costs of mental health includes three phases:

Phase I — Estimating direct healthcare costs
Phase II — Estimating social and income support payments and indirect costs
Phase III — Estimating private health and lost productivity costs

The production of the report was made possible through a financial contribution from The Mental Health Commission of Canada. The views expressed in the report do not necessarily represent the views of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

Challenges and facilitators to public health advocacy in gambling

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 17:30:00 GMT

In this study, the researchers explored how public health advocacy could be used to protect communities from gambling harm. They interviewed 50 people working in various fields, including health promotion, research, and government. Participants revealed many challenges to successful advocacy campaigns. These included the influences of the gambling industry on policy and research, and ideological differences about the role of researchers in advocacy. Participants also discussed strategies that could facilitate advocacy. These included engaging people experiencing harm from gambling, building coalitions, and having funding resources independent of industry. Reframing problem gambling policy away from personal responsibility was also identified as important.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Challenges and facilitators to public health advocacy in gambling', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Adoption effect as an explanation for why newer gambling products are associated with increased problem gambling

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 15:45:00 GMT

This article proposes the adoption effect to explain why new gambling products (e.g., skin gambling, fantasy sports betting, and esports betting) are associated with higher rates of problem gambling. It suggests that people who adopt novel gambling games earlier are usually at a higher risk for developing problem gambling compared to people who are later adopters. The researchers presented evidence from two surveys of Australian adults. Their analysis showed higher rates of moderate-risk and problem gambling among people who engaged in novel gambling products than people who engaged in mature gambling products (casino games, sports betting, etc.). The high prevalence of problem gambling found among early adopters suggests that early adopters are more vulnerable to problem gambling. Over time, as more people engage in these products, it dilutes the high rate of problem gambling as later adopters are more resistant to problem gambling.

See the two page plain language article summary Adoption effect as an explanation for why newer gambling products are associated with increased problem gambling in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The association between gambling disorder and work disability

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 00:45:00 GMT

This study examined the link between gambling disorder (GD) and work disability. It also mapped the trajectories of work disability three years before and three years after GD diagnosis. People with GD showed an increased risk for long-term work disability than people without GD. Four different trajectories of work disability were identified among people with GD. Females, older people, people with a previous psychiatric diagnosis, and those who received psychotropic medication were less likely to be in the group with low constant levels of work disability.

See the two-page plain language article summary 'The association between gambling disorder and work disability' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

How nudges can help (or hurt) gambling habits: A review of nudge theory and gambling

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 20:30:00 GMT

This review article addresses the use of nudge theory within the context of gambling. By exploring nudge theory, which originates from behavioural economics, this review article highlights how small changes in the environment can help people to make better decisions about gambling. The findings emphasize that nudges may be able to promote healthier gambling behaviors, such as by taking breaks and setting spending limits, without restricting individual freedom. The review also brings attention to "dark nudges" that exploit the decision-making processes of people who gamble, leading to more harmful behaviors. Understanding the impact of nudges and dark nudges is crucial for developing effective strategies to support responsible gambling. This review highlights the need for collaboration between various stakeholder groups to develop best practices for minimizing gambling-related harms.

See the article summary 'How nudges can help (or hurt) gambling habits: A review of nudge theory and gambling' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

New dataset: AGRI National Project - COVID Online Panel

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 19:00:00 GMT

The Alberta Gambling Research Institute (AGRI) National Project was a three-year longitudinal study conducted by a multi-institute research team based at AGRI. The aim of the study was to capture a nation-wide picture of gambling and problem gambling in Canada. This research extended the AGRI National Project Online Panel Study with two additional waves of data collection to examine the impact of COVID-19 on gambling. The first wave of data involved participants who were re-recruited from the AGRI National Study Online Panel and was conducted May 14th to June 1st, 2020. The second wave of data involved new participants and some of those who participated in Wave 1, and was conducted December 1st to 20th, 2020. The second wave of data was used to determine what changes related to the pandemic lockdown were enduring. A sample of 3,449 (Wave 1) and 2,790 (Wave 2) participants were recruited, with each province represented.

The data contains gambling-specific information including:

Presence and degree of problem gambling
Gambling attitudes and beliefs in gambling fallacies
Gambling participation
Gambling context and social exposure
Knowledge and use of gambling harm minimization
Family history of problem gambling

The data also contains more general information including:

Psychological factors (personality, mental health)
Comorbid factors (behavioural addictions, substance use, PTSD)
History with COVID-19

The dataset is available for use by researchers in the Greo Dataverse: AGRI National Project: COVID Online Panel

Ratings of independently designed Australian safer gambling messages by people who bet on races/sports in the USA and the UK

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:15:00 GMT

The purpose of this study was to understand how people from the UK and USA perceived different safer gambling messages. Responses were from 1,001 participants in the USA and the UK who engaged in sports/race betting. Participants were shown nine different safer gambling messages. Seven of these messages were independently designed messages that were newly mandated in Australia. Two messages were current and common slogans used in the UK and internationally. For each message, participants rated their level of agreement with seven statements. Most of the new messages were rated better than the existing messages. The new messages were rated as more attention-grabbing, applicable on a personal level, helpful, and more likely to encourage cutbacks in gambling. Participants consistently rated two statements strongly on all scales: “Chances are you’re about to lose’ and ‘You win some, you lose more’. The message that contained a call to action (‘What are you prepared to lose today? Set a deposit limit’) was one of the best performing messages.

See the two-page plain language article summary 'Ratings of independently designed Australian safer gambling messages by people who bet on races/sports in the USA and the UK' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The relationships between gambling advertising, psychological factors, and problem gambling among people experiencing gambling disorder

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 21:30:00 GMT

This study looked at the relationship between exposure to gambling advertisements and severity of problem gambling among people diagnosed with gambling disorder. In total, 210 adults seeking treatment for gambling disorder in Spain were recruited between June 2019 and January 2021. Participants with more severe problem gambling reported greater impact of gambling advertising, lower social index, and higher levels of impulsivity. Gambling advertising played a role in the paths between emotion dysregulation and gambling severity, and between impulsivity and gambling severity. These findings suggest that people with higher levels of emotion dysregulation and impulsivity, are more vulnerable to the negative effects of gambling advertising, which leads to more severe problem gambling.

See the two-page plain language summary 'The relationships between gambling advertising, psychological factors, and problem gambling among people experiencing gambling disorder' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling and problem gambling rates among Canadian adults in 2018 and changes since 2002

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 16:15:00 GMT

This study examined the prevalence rates of gambling and problem gambling in Canada. It also describes changes since 2002. The researchers analyzed data from 23,952 adults who participated in the 2018 Canadian Community Health Survey. Most participants (66.2%) reported gambling in the past year, mainly on lottery and raffle tickets. About 0.6% of the participants experienced problem gambling. Another 2.7% experienced at-risk gambling. Problem gambling rates did not differ markedly across the provinces. Gambling participation and problem gambling rates had declined in 2018 when compared to 2002.

Read the two page Research Snapshot 'Gambling and problem gambling rates among Canadian adults in 2018 and changes since 2002' in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Many top-grossing iPhone games are non-compliant with loot box industry self-regulation in the United Kingdom

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Loot boxes are gambling-like items in video games that can be bought for real money. In this study, the researchers looked at the extent to which popular iPhone games are compliant with loot box self-regulation rules in the United Kingdom (UK). The researchers assessed the extent to which the 100 highest-grossing iPhone games in the UK Apple App Store: prevented the purchase of loot boxes by people under 18 years of age unless parental consent was provided; disclosed the presence of loot boxes in the game; and provided disclosures of the probability of each reward in a loot box. Games were identified on January 18th and July 18th, 2024, and evaluated. Overall, games were largely non-compliant with the three self-regulation principles, with compliance rates ranging from 8.6% to 23.5% after July 18th, 2024. Many games remained non-compliant and were not delisted from the Apple App Store, suggesting that loot box self-regulation has not been effectively enforced. Policy makers can use the findings to improve regulations surrounding loot boxes and their enforcement.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'Many top-grossing iPhone games are non-compliant with loot box industry self-regulation in the United Kingdom' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Offering an auto-play feature in online casinos can increase the amount bet and number of spins

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 00:15:00 GMT

Auto-play lets people commit to a fixed number of spin sequences of a pre-set length and value. With auto-play, spins are played automatically on behalf of the person unless they are aborted. There is not much direct, experimental research on the impact of auto-play in online casino gambling. The current study involved an experiment aimed at exploring the impact of offering an auto-play feature on slot machines on gambling behaviours and outcomes. The experiment was an initiative of ATG, a large, licensed gambling provider in Sweden.

Before data collection, ATG identified a total of 80 online slot machines from two different game providers that showed similar trends. From these slot machines, 40 were set to include the auto-play feature for a pre-set duration. The other 40 matched slots served as the control. The findings showed that offering an auto-play feature increased the amount bet. It might also increase the number of spins. But auto-play did not have an impact on net losses.

See the research summary 'Offering an auto-play feature in online casinos can increase the amount bet and number of spins' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Raw payments transaction data from online casino players and online sports bettors

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 12:00:00 GMT

This newly available dataset contains payment transactions of people who bet online on casino games and sports. The data was sourced from a U.S. based provider of digital gambling payments systems. The raw dataset contains 7,866 customer transactions (deposits and withdrawals) from between March 1, 2019 and February 29, 2020. Columns in the files include the time a transaction occured, transaction type (deposit/withdrawl), the amount of the transaction, whether the transaction was approved or declined, and an account identifier. Researchers can use these data to study how people's payment behavior relates to their gambling behavior.

Link to the dataset Raw payments transaction data from online casino players and online sports bettors from Greo's Evidence Centre.

This is a subset of a larger data collection. For more information, see the data brief 'Payments transaction data from online casino players and online sports bettors' on PubMed Central.

Gambling helpline contacts in Ontario increased following expansion of online gambling

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:45:00 GMT

In this study, the researchers looked at how the number of contacts made to Ontario’s gambling helpline might have changed following policy changes that expanded the online gambling market in the province. They used data from people who contacted ConnexOntario with gambling-related concerns between January 2012 and September 2025. Gambling-related contacts to ConnexOntario increased by about 95% following the launch of the government-run online gambling platform (PlayOLG) in 2015 and expansion to allow private companies to offer online gambling, including sports betting, in 2022. The largest increases were seen among adolescent boys and men between 15 and 44 years old. These findings suggest that the expansion of online gambling in Ontario is related to increased problem gambling, help-seeking, or both.

See the two-page plain language summary 'Gambling helpline contacts in Ontario increased following expansion of online gambling' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The Network to Reduce Gambling Harms launches website

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 20:30:00 GMT

The Network to Reduce Gambling Harms in Great Britain now has its own dedicated website that brings together people and organizations committed to preventing and reducing gambling harms. The Network unites people from across the field—from community services and people with lived experience, to researchers, public health professionals, and policy makers—to create opportunities for collaboration, shared learning, and collective action to reduce gambling harms across communities.

Explore the new site to:

Connect with others dedicated to reducing gambling harms
Learn about Network funding programs
Discover publications to support your work
Sign up for the Network newsletter

Join the conversation and stay connected: www.networkrgh.co.uk

Armed Forces evaluation study selected for funding through the Safer Gambling Information Project

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 08:00:00 GMT

Earlier this year, Greo launched a funding call for the Safer Gambling Information Project. The call was intended to fund an evidence-based pilot project to enhance the accessibility of safer gambling information among military personnel and veterans in Great Britain.

We are pleased to announce that SAGE – Scoping the Accessibility of Safer Gambling Information in the United Kingdom Armed Forces: A Pilot Evaluation Study has been selected for funding. The multidisciplinary team behind the project includes Professor Simon Dymond, School of Psychology, Swansea University; Professor Matt Fossey, Veterans and Families Institute for Military Social Research, Anglia Ruskin University; and Justyn Larcombe CEO of The Recovery Course.

The project will conduct a climate-scoping evaluation of existing provision of safer gambling information among currently serving UK military personnel and affected others, and will field-test a military gambling SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) online platform. Findings will enhance our understanding of current safer gambling information pathways within the British Armed Forces and will establish the feasibility and acceptability of a military SBIRT intervention, contributing to the knowledge base around effective gambling harm prevention strategies within this vulnerable group.

See resources related to military personnel and gambling harm in Greo's Evidence Centre digital library.

Investigating who drinks alcohol while gambling and why in Canada

Mon, 19 May 2025 23:00:00 GMT

Simultaneous gambling and alcohol use—in other words, gambling and drinking alcohol at the same time—might be linked to increased risk of harms and consequences. In this study, the researchers looked at who is more likely to simultaneously gamble and drink alcohol and why. In total, 472 Canadian adults who were 19 years of age or older and had gambled in the past year completed an online survey. They filled out questionnaires about their gambling, alcohol use, mental health symptoms, and impulsivity (i.e., a tendency to act rashly). They also reported their top three reasons for drinking alcohol while gambling. Of the 390 participants who also drank alcohol in the past year, 160 either rarely/sometimes or often/always gambled and drank alcohol at the same time.

Lack of premeditation (i.e., a dimension of impulsivity involving a tendency to act without considering potential consequences), gambling for social reasons, gambling for fun, and more severe disordered alcohol use were related to an increased likelihood of simultaneous gambling and alcohol use. Participants’ top three reasons for drinking alcohol while gambling were to enhance positive emotions, to relax, and to socialize. The findings can inform the development of policies and harm reduction strategies to reduce the risk of drinking alcohol while gambling.

See the two-page summary 'Investigating who drinks alcohol while gambling and why in Canada' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Structural factors driving gambling stigma and discrimination from the perspective of people with lived experience

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 18:15:00 GMT

Stigma refers to the negative judgments and attitudes that people have about a condition, such as gambling addiction. This study explored the structural drivers of gambling-related stigma and discrimination. The researchers interviewed 40 adults from Great Britain who experienced harm related to their own gambling. The researchers identified five themes based on the interviews: (1) harmless fun and individual responsibility; (2) comparison with substance use; (3) the role of money; (4) lack of parity in government and policy; and (5) stereotypes of a “typical” person who gambles. These themes are interrelated and reinforce the stigma around gambling. These findings highlight how the way in which commercial gambling functions maintains the conditions that produce stigma in the first place. They draw attention to how government policy enables commercial gambling to function in this way.

See the two-page summary 'Structural factors driving gambling stigma and discrimination from the perspective of people with lived experience' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Impact evaluation of GamCare's Gambling Related Financial Harm Project

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 22:30:00 GMT

This report assesses GamCare's Gambling Related Financial Harm project and its impact since its launch in 2019. The project involved work across sectors (including banking, gambling treatment, and debt and money advice) to address financial harm and debt that gambling often causes, and raise awareness about this issue. Participants developed initiatives and resources to help organizations identify and support people who are experiencing financial harm. Close to 500 people across these sectors were involved in the work. This evaluation was commissioned by GamCare and completed by Rocket Science, an independent research and evaluation company.

Key findings include that the project:

Helps to creates networking and open discussion about gambling related financial harms.
Raises awareness about financial harms through shared learning and knowledge.
Has prompted organizations to add policies on gambling related harm that reflects the experience of those affected by harm.
Has led to connections between organizations for referral, to support people experiencing gambling related harm. However, deeper referral pathways are still needed to create real change.

See the evaluation report 'Impact evaluation of GamCare’s Gambling Related Financial Harm Project' linked in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling harm among adults with health and social care needs

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 19:30:00 GMT

People with health and social care needs may be particularly vulnerable to gambling harm. Researchers interviewed 23 professionals working within primary care, social care services, and third sector organizations in England. Participants talked about their experiences working with adults with health and social care needs who experienced gambling harm. Participants reported a lack of guidance on how to screen, assess, and support people experiencing harm from gambling. There was also a lack of awareness of gambling support services and management tools. Participants called for gambling harm to be recognized as a public health problem. Many highlighted the need for guidance along with professional development activities.

Read the two-page summary and the full article in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Lived experiences of suicidal behaviours among women with gambling disorder

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 23:45:00 GMT

Gambling disorder is linked with higher risk of suicidality in women. Suicidality refers to suicidal behaviours, including suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts. This study explored the lived experiences of suicidality among women with gambling disorder. The researchers interviewed seven women. Several women experienced suicidality before gambling disorder due to mental health problems and life events. For some women, suicidality appeared due to the consequences of GD. Three main themes emerged from the interviews. The first one was guilt, shame, and self-stigmatization leading to suicidality. The second one was loss of control/chaotic life circumstances leading to suicidality. The third theme was social consequences/fear of guilt and shame from others leading to suicidality.

See the two-page plain language article summary Lived experiences of suicidal behaviours among women with gambling disorder in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling and mental health harms among young adults in Great Britain

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:15:00 GMT

This report by GambleAware explores problem gambling, gambling-related harm, and harm to mental health in particular, among 18-24 year olds in Great Britain. Topics covered include the prevalence of problem gambling, which young adults are at greatest risk, and poor mental health and gambling harm. The data is from GambleAware’s Annual Treatment and Support Survey, which involves an online quantitative survey with around 18,000 adults, and about 30 one-to-one interviews with people who gamble. Data from the Gambling Commission’s 2024 Gambling Survey for Great Britain is also included where relevant.

Key findings:

Although people aged 18-24 are less likely to engage in gambling than the general population, they are more likely to experience problem gambling.
A key driver of gambling harm and poor mental health among 18 to 24 year olds is financial difficulty.
There are higher levels of problem gambling among 18-24 year olds from Black and South Asian ethnic backgrounds, those living in the most deprived areas, males, people who are heterosexual, and people who are neurodivergent.
While rates of problem vary among different demographic groups, emotional and psychological harm are elevated in groups that experience greater disadvantage.
To reduce harm from gambling and poor mental health, there is a need for more financial and media literacy among children and young people.

See the report 'Gambling and mental health harms among young adults in Great Britain' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Using real-world player data to examine the effects of a mandatory 60-minute play break in online casino

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 17:45:00 GMT

This study examined the effects of a mandatory 60-minute play break after people had made 10 deposits in a single day. The researchers were given access to player data for 27 days before and 27 days after the play break was introduced by an online gambling operator. Data included 2,021 British players who deposited at least 10 times in a single day, at least once. The percentage of people who stopped depositing money after the 10th deposit rose from 27% to 68% when there was a mandatory play break. The percentage of people who stopped wagering rose from 0.1% to 45%. The play break did not have an impact on depositing money on the next day. It seemed to increase the likelihood to wager on the next day. There was no impact on gambling behaviour several weeks later.

Read the article summary Using real-world player data to examine the effects of a mandatory 60-minute play break in online casino in Greo's Evidence Centre.

New report: Effective interventions for the treatment of gambling that is associated with harm

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 21:15:00 GMT

This report by the National Centre for Social Research in the UK reviews the effectiveness of interventions to reduce gambling-related harms. Based on studies published between 2020 and 2024, it examines the effectiveness of treatments, barriers and enablers of effectiveness, and gaps in the research. The review also highlights the need to address broader social and health factors that contribute to gambling harm.

Findings include:

Cognitive behavioural therapy had the most robust evidence regarding its effectiveness in the short term.
Some other approaches, such as motivational interviewing and feedback interventions, were effective, but the evidence was lacking in quantitative methodologies.
Combining interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy and motivational interventions may improve their effectiveness.
Individual needs and preferences should determine the type of intervention implemented.
Co-occurring issues are common, which requires support from of a variety of mental health services.

Link to the full report, 'Effective interventions for the treatment of gambling that is associated with harm: Rapid evidence review' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Comprehension of gambling odds report calls for odds of winning to be displayed before all game information

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 17:45:00 GMT

This report by the Behavioural Insights Team outlines the results of testing whether behaviourally informed messaging of odds information for slot games could reduce harms from gambling by increasing understanding of the odds of winning. The study took place in the United Kingdom and investigated the following questions:

What impact does the presentation of odds have on people’s understanding of odds and their confidence of knowledge?
Does understanding of odds affect betting behaviour in online slot games?
Does the presence of an offer affect understanding of odds, and in turn, does this affect betting behaviour in online slot games?

Based on the findings, as well as existing research, it includes recommendations for policy makers:

Remove return-to-player statements
Embed natural frequencies, information of the volatility of wins and loss framing
Mandate that slot games’ odds information should be shown before all other game information

Link to the full Comprehension of odds report in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Policy to restrict advertising of unhealthy commodities in Bristol, UK: Development and anticipated impacts

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 15:15:00 GMT

A new advertisement policy was introduced in Bristol, UK, in 2021/2022. It prohibits the advertising of unhealthy food and drinks, alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and payday loans across council-owned advertising spaces. The researchers interviewed stakeholders who were involved in the development of the policy. They also surveyed residents of Bristol and South Gloucestershire on their exposure to such advertising. It was found that unhealthy product advertisements were more observed by younger people. This was also the case for people living in more deprived areas.

See the two-page plain language article summary Policy to restrict advertising of unhealthy commodities in Bristol, UK: Development and anticipated impacts in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Exploring self-management strategies that could be used to deal with problem gambling

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 20:30:00 GMT

People with problem gambling (PG) rarely get help from a therapist. Self-management strategies are strategies that people use on their own to manage their PG. The authors reviewed 31 studies that investigated self-management strategies used by adults with PG. They identified 24 self-management strategies, which could be grouped into four categories. Most of the studies examined behavioural strategies including self-exclusion and limiting time and money spent on gambling. Another common strategy was the use of workbooks. More research is needed to explore whether certain self-management strategies work better for certain groups of people.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Exploring self-management strategies that could be used to deal with problem gambling', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Can banks help prevent problem gambling? A framework of financial well-being indicators

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 20:30:00 GMT

This review provides a conceptual framework outlining four main determinants of financial well-being and their indicators. The framework suggests how banks and payment providers can help reduce harmful gambling. By tracking financial transactions, these institutions can spot early signs of problem gambling and offer timely help, such as spending limits or alerts. This approach goes beyond just focusing on gambling companies and people who gamble, creating a more comprehensive and effective way to protect people from gambling-related financial harms. This review also encourages collaboration between financial institutions, policymakers, regulators, and researchers to develop better regulations and intervention strategies.

See the article summary, 'Can banks help prevent problem gambling? A framework of financial well-being indicators' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Emotional and social support as a protective factor for gambling-related problems among young adult men

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 15:15:00 GMT

Young male adults are at greater risk for gambling-related problems. Social support can help protect them from developing gambling-related problems. This study examined the relationship between gambling behaviour, gambling-related problems, and perceived emotional and social support (PESS) among young adult men over two years. The sample consisted of 169 young adult men between 18 and 25 years. Participants with low levels of PESS were less likely than those with high PESS to have a partner. They also had higher scores on depression and anxiety. Additionally, they gambled less frequently but gambled more hours per day when they did gamble. Across the 169 participants, those with higher levels of PESS had improved gambling disorder scores over time (i.e., fewer gambling problems). The results of the within-participant analysis found that over time, participants with higher PESS had fewer gambling-related problems, gambled less frequently, and gambled fewer hours than they did at baseline.

See the two-page plain language article summary Emotional and social support as a protective factor for gambling-related problems among young adult men in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Testing the effects of viewing safer and traditional gambling advertisements on gambling urges

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 23:45:00 GMT

In this study, the researchers looked at whether levels of gambling craving change after seeing a traditional gambling advertisement or a safer gambling advertisement promoted by either a gambling operator or a charity (GambleAware). The researchers analyzed data from 2,741 adults living in the UK who had previously gambled online. Participants who saw a safer gambling advertisement promoted by an operator reported increased gambling urges. Those who saw a safer gambling advertisement promoted by GambleAware reported lower gambling urges, but only when the content focused on reducing gambling-related stigma and had input from people with lived experience. Participants with more severe problem gambling reported lower gambling urges after watching either of the safer gambling advertisements promoted by GambleAware.

See the two-page summary 'Testing the effects of viewing safer and traditional gambling advertisements on gambling urges' and link to the full article in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Illegal gambling in Canada: Prevalence and predictors

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 14:15:00 GMT

Most types of gambling have been legal in Canada for the past thirty years, although this has not always been the case. It is difficult to establish the rate of illegal gambling in Canada as no prevalence studies have been conducted. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence rate of illegal gambling in Canada. The researchers were also interested in examining the predictors of illegal gambling in Canada. The researchers surveyed over 10,000 Canadians who had gambled at least once every month. They found that the prevalence rate of illegal gambling was very low, varying from 0.05% to 1.59% depending on the type of illegal gambling. Several significant predictors of illegal gambling were identified, including engaging in more types of gambling, gambling more frequently, and having problem gambling.

Read the two-page plain language article summary Illegal gambling in Canada: Prevalence and predictors in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Challenges in regulating the online gambling sector

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 20:45:00 GMT

The purpose of this scoping review was to identify and summarize the current evidence base on the effects of legal interventions intended to reduce online gambling harms and the challenges faced by such legal interventions. After screening, a total of 27 data sources were included in this scoping review. The researchers discussed two main themes: (1) challenges of regulating online gambling, and (2) efficacy of laws and regulations intended to reduce online gambling harms. Specifically, the researchers noted that current online gambling harm reduction efforts often rely on an individual approach instead of a systems approach. They also noted that not many studies have addressed the health equity and/or equality effects of laws and regulations.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'Challenges in regulating the online gambling sector: A scoping review' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Adolescents' viewpoints on strategies to protect young people from gambling harm

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:30:00 GMT

It is important to safeguard young people from harmful gambling. Yet, there is limited research on adolescents' perspectives on protective strategies. The researchers recruited 89 adolescents to participate in interviews or online communities. The themes that emerged from the data included open and honest advice from parents; school-based education that is meaningful, authentic, and based on lived experiences; truth and transparency in advertising; social marketing that reaches and informs youth; and governments to regulate the gambling and gaming industries into acting ethically. Adolescents with at-risk/problem gambling were able to offer more detailed suggestions on helpful strategies.

See the two-page summary ‘Adolescents’ viewpoints on strategies to protect young people from gambling harm' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The transparency of loot box advertising on Meta and TikTok

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:15:00 GMT

Loot boxes are gambling-like products inside video games that contain random rewards. They can be bought with real-world money. Concerns have been raised about the potential harms of loot boxes. The researcher examined ads for video games on Meta-owned platforms (i.e., Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger) and TikTok. Of the 185 Meta ads for 63 games known to contain loot boxes, only 10.8% disclosed the presence of in-game purchases and 7% disclosed the presence of loot boxes. TikTok ads also often did not disclose. Thus, 93% of social media ads for video games were non-compliant with UK advertising laws.

See the two-page summary ‘The transparency of loot box advertising on Meta and TikTok' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A brief motivational telephone call from a gambling operator can motivate people to reduce gambling

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

This study examined whether a brief, personalized motivational telephone intervention from a gambling operator had effects on gambling and self-limiting practices. Participants gambled with Svenska Spel Sport & Casino, who were contacted between September 2019 and April 2020 because they showed high-risk gambling patterns. A total of 1,420 people were successfully contacted, while 1,504 people could not be reached after three attempts. The telephone intervention was associated with reduced gambling and greater likelihood of taking up self-exclusion and limit-setting tools. But it did not have an influence on gambling abstinence. Larger effects were seen in some subgroups, such as those who played online casino/bingo gambling.

See the research summary 'A brief motivational telephone call from a gambling operator can motivate people to reduce gambling' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Expert consensus study: Policies and interventions to reduce harmful gambling

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 20:00:00 GMT

A study published August 2022 in The Lancet Public Health outlines 81 measures to reduce harmful gambling in the UK, endorsed by the majority of a group of acadmeic and professional experts on the topic. Measures were rated for their effectiveness, as well as the practicality of implementation. Measures span seven domains, from price and taxation, to treatment and support.

Some of the measures endorsed include:

Ban operators’ tax deductions on advertising, marketing, and sponsorship
Ban in-play betting on sports events
Mandate breaks during gambling by session time or amount spent, or both
Ban high-value membership or operator loyalty programmes
Ban advertising and marketing on radio, television, social media, and streaming
UK banks and other operators to block payments to unregulated operators

Read the full article "Policies and interventions to reduce harmful gambling: an international Delphi consensus and implementation rating study" on The Lancet's website.

Greo's partner organizations win Global Regulatory Award for Outstanding Contribution to Safer Gambling

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 19:45:00 GMT

Greo's partner organizations ARA Recovery for All and Beacon Counselling Trust (BCT) took home an award from the Global Regulatory Awards held in London, UK on October 21st. The awards are hosted by VIXIO Gambling Compliance, a provider of regulatory intelligence for the gambling and payment industries.

Ara and Beacon won the award for Outstanding Contribution to Safer Gambling for their innovative pilot program, Breaking the Sharam (translated to “breaking the shame”). Breaking the Sharam is an innovative gambling harm reduction program developed by ARA and BCT, in collaboration with South Asian communities, that aims to address gambling harms in a culturally safe and meaningful way. The program adapts universal safer gambling programming from the accredited level 2 Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulations (Ofqual) course, Tackling Gambling Harms, to the unique needs and context of South Asian community. Breaking the Sharam employs a culturally relevant community first aid model to reduce gambling harms by recruiting, training, and empowering local faith leaders and community champions to provide brief information and culturally appropriate support to those who may be at risk of gambling-related harm. The program provides much needed support for South Asian community members, who are five times more likely than White Britains to experience gambling problems.

ARA and BCT’s partnership with Greo and South Asian community stakeholders provides a blueprint for all stakeholders working in safer gambling who wish to address harms through culturally safe and meaningful programming and evaluation. The program is one of a suite of initiatives that that supports the Safer Gambling Movement, a grassroots approach to adopting a public health approach to reducing gambling-related harms led by Ara and Beacon Counselling Trust. Greo is evaluating the Safer Gambling Movement is over the next three years to gain insight into the unique needs of these populations and understand what works to reduce gambling harms in these settings.

Learn more about evaluation on Greo's Safer Gambling Evaluation Evidence Hub.

Prevalence of problem gambling in people with psychotic disorders

Fri, 31 May 2024 19:30:00 GMT

This article is a review of studies estimating the prevalence of problem gambling among people with psychotic disorders. It provides an estimate of this prevalence by pooling together the results from 12 studies. Overall, the prevalence of problem gambling was 8.7% among people with psychotic disorders. The prevalence was lower in studies with a low risk of bias (5.6%) than studies with a moderate risk of bias (10.4%). Different methods were used to measure problem gambling, which contributed to this difference. This article is important as it shows a need for routine screening of problem gambling in clinical practice.

See the research article summary 'Prevalence of problem gambling in people with psychotic disorders' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Impulsivity and compulsivity may influence response to gambling disorder treatment

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 15:45:00 GMT

This study explored the impact of trait impulsivity and compulsivity on treatment outcomes of gambling disorder (GD). Participants were 144 male adult patients. Those with higher trait impulsivity and poorer cognitive flexibility had poorer treatment outcomes. Cognitive flexibility is the ability to adapt and learn from past mistakes and has been linked to compulsivity. These participants were less likely to comply with therapy tasks and more likely to relapse during treatment. They were more likely to have dropped out by the end of treatment. GD treatment may want to target impulsivity and cognitive flexibility to improve treatment response.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Impulsivity and compulsivity may influence response to gambling disorder treatment', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Prevalence of use and awareness of self-exclusion from gambling in the general adult population

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 19:45:00 GMT

This article presents a review of international studies on self-exclusion programs. The aim is to estimate the prevalence of use and awareness in the general adult population. Fifteen studies were included in the review. The international prevalence of use of self-exclusion programs was 0.26%. The prevalence of awareness was 11.09%. People with problem gambling were more likely to use self-exclusion than those with moderate-risk or low-risk gambling. Awareness was also higher among people with problem gambling than those with low-risk gambling.

See the two-page plain language article summary 'Prevalence of use and awareness of self-exclusion from gambling in the general adult population' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

What explains the relationship between being a victim of bullying and addictive behaviours?

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 14:45:00 GMT

Among high school students, bully victims were more likely to take part in multiple addictive behaviours (cigarette smoking, alcohol use, marijuana use, and gambling). Mental health symptoms and problem behaviours explained this relationship. Youth who were bullied more often had more depressive symptoms and problem behaviours, which led to taking part in a greater number of addictive behaviours. Youth who were bully victims but did not have mental health symptoms or problem behaviours might not be at an increased risk of taking part in addictive behaviours.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'What explains the relationship between being a victim of bullying and addictive behaviours?', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Greo report examines impact of financial harm from gambling on affected others in New Zealand

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 18:30:00 GMT

New evidence from Greo Evidence Insights, in partnership with Auckland University of Technology (AUT) in New Zealand, has uncovered the significant financial harms experienced by the partners, family, and friends of people who gamble (“affected others”). The report Measuring the Gambling-Related Financial Harms Experienced by Whanau and Affected Others and Identifying Mitigating Practices, commissioned by the New Zealand Ministry of Health, is one of the first studies of its kind in New Zealand to focus specifically on the financial impacts experienced by affected others.

The research reveals that among those affected by another person’s gambling, more than three in four experienced direct financial harm, including overdue bills, lost savings, and reduced spending money. These harms were often accompanied by emotional stress, relationship strain, and economic control by the person gambling. “Gambling harm doesn’t just affect the person gambling, it ripples through families and communities,” says Sasha Stark PhD, Director of Evaluation and Implementation Research at Greo Evidence Insights. “By bringing together lived experience, cultural knowledge and insight, and a review of existing research and regulations, we can better understand how financial and gambling systems and policy decisions might mitigate or exacerbate the financial harms experienced by affected others.”

See the report 'Measuring the Gambling-Related Financial Harms Experienced by Whanau and Affected Others and Identifying Mitigating Practices' on the New Zealand Ministry of Health's website.

Greo/CCSA report: A need for a pan-Canadian strategy to address gambling-related harms

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Recent gambling policy changes in Canada have led to increased opportunities to legally bet on sports and gamble online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Gambling Availability and Advertising in Canada: A Call to Action looks at the impacts of legal gambling in Canada since the approval of Bill C-218, the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act in 2021. The report recommends developing a pan-Canadian strategy to address gambling-related harms. This is a new report by Greo Evidence Insights (Greo) and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA).

The report recommends developing a national strategy that will:

Develop national standards governing the promotion and availability of gambling;
Manage conflicts of interest among gambling stakeholders;
Address inadequate funding for gambling harm prevention and reduction initiatives and research;
Monitor systematic changes in gambling-related harm, including any assessments of the social and economic costs of gambling; and
Increase awareness of gambling-related harms among health and social service professionals and the public

Read the full news release Call for a national strategy to address gambling-related harms in wake of sports betting boom

Characterizing people who gamble using payment transaction information

Tue, 23 May 2023 23:00:00 GMT

Forms of digital payment, including digital wallets, have become popular in the gambling industry. Research suggests that less noticeable payments, like virtual payments, may have negative consequences. In this study, the researchers used a dataset from a U.S.-based gambling digital payment service provider to examine whether transaction/payment behaviour can be used to categorize people who gamble into different subgroups. The researchers found that people who gamble could be categorized into subgroups based on their payment transaction data. They also identified several payment behaviours potentially associated with a higher risk of gambling harm.

See the two page plain language article summary Characterizing people who gamble using payment transaction information in Greo's Evidence Centre.

New report on the impact of the COVID-19 on gambling behaviour in Great Britain

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 14:45:00 GMT

New research carried out for GambleAware by global public opinion and data company YouGov shows significant reductions in gambling participation following the COVID-19 lockdown. The study compares a sample from October 2019 with a follow-up in May 2020. Almost all gambling activities showed decreases in participation, with the expection of online casino games. The report also explores motivations for gambling, number of people with problem gambling, reasons for gambling less or more, and use of safer gambling tools.

See the full report from GambleAware's website, The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on gambling behaviour, harms and demand for treatment and support, and also on our COVID-19 News and Emerging Research page.

Online interventions for people with problem gambling and unhealthy alcohol use

Tue, 12 May 2020 21:15:00 GMT

Problem gambling tends to co-occur with unhealthy alcohol use. The researchers did a randomized controlled trial. They looked at if adding a brief feedback on unhealthy alcohol use could improve the effects of a gambling intervention. A total of 282 participants concerned about their gambling and interested in online help took part in the study. They were randomly assigned to either a gambling and alcohol, or gambling only online intervention. It was found that 80.5% and 41.1% met the criteria for problematic gambling and unhealthy alcohol use, respectively. Follow-up rates were 80.1% and 84% at 3 and 6 months. Problem gambling reduced over time for both groups. However, there were no differences between the groups. Unhealthy alcohol use did not reduce over time for both groups. Also, there were no differences in alcohol use between the groups. The interventions helped reduced problem gambling but not unhealthy alcohol use.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Online interventions for people with problem gambling and unhealthy alcohol use', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

A scoping review of the grey literature on gambling interventions for children and young people

Mon, 19 May 2025 23:15:00 GMT

This scoping review explored interventions designed to prevent or reduce gambling-related harms among children and young people (CYP). It explored the grey literature, looking at practical strategies and interventions not documented in academic articles. The focus was on the UK or countries similar to the UK in terms of gambling. The researchers identified 14 organizations offering interventions for CYP in Great Britain, Canada, and Australia. Educational interventions were most prevalent. They were delivered through workshops, online courses, and digital resources. Innovative approaches such as interactive web-based games were more likely to attract and be able to engage CYP. However, most interventions lacked rigorous evaluation data.

See the two-page summary 'A scoping review of the grey literature on gambling interventions for children and young people' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

GREO staff publish mapping review in Harm Reduction Journal

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 15:15:00 GMT

GREO staff have produced a mapping review study published this month in Harm Reduction Journal. The article, "A mapping review of research on gambling harm in three regulatory environments", looks at gambling research patterns in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It maps gambling research trends from 2008 to 2017, using the Conceptual Framework of Harmful Gambling as a guide.

The authors, staff from GREO's Knowledge Management team (David Baxter, Margo Hilbrect, and Cameron Wheaton), relate the publication patterns across the three countries to their different approaches to gambling regulations. Countries with privately operated gambling focused on harm factors that are the operators’responsibility, whereas jurisdictions with a public health model focused on treatment and harm reduction resources. In the absence of a legislated requirement for public health or harm minimisation focus, researchers in jurisdictions with government-operated gambling tend to focus research on factors that are the individual’s responsibility and less on the harms they experience.

See a summary of the article in GREO's Evidence Centre.

The effect of opting out of direct marketing on betting frequency, spending, and gambling harm

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:45:00 GMT

This study tested whether opting out of direct marketing reduces betting frequency, spending, and short-term gambling harms. The researchers conducted a field experiment with an ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Participants were adults who had an active online wagering account that they used regularly in the last year. Of the 400 participants randomized, 227 were included in the analysis: 96 in the opt-out group and 131 in the control group. The treatment group opted out of direct marketing for the duration of the study, while the control group was not asked to do so. Participants completed seven EMA surveys every 48 hours over a 14-day period. Overall, participants in the treatment group placed 23% fewer bets, spent 39% less money, and reported 67% fewer short-term gambling harms compared to those in the control group.

See the two-page plain language summary 'The effect of opting out of direct marketing on betting frequency, spending, and gambling harm' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Local policy challenges for managing gambling development and harm in Leeds, United Kingdom

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:45:00 GMT

Gambling is both an opportunity and a risk for local governments. Permissive regulation focuses on the benefits over the negative consequences of gambling. This study focuses on Leeds, United Kingdom, where the Leeds City Council (LCC) was given permission to build a new “super casino” called the Victoria Gate Casino. This study examined interviews with stakeholder groups prior to the opening of the casino. It evaluated the relationships between local government policy, gambling development, and support services.

Specifically, the researchers examined (1) the local policy challenges for managing gambling development and harm in Leeds, and (2) the effectiveness of current support and resources in managing harm. Three groups of stakeholders were interviewed, including 15 people who gambled, 8 gambling businesses, and 17 support service providers. Overall, the researchers found that there was not enough local knowledge and structural support in addressing gambling harm. The researchers discussed how gambling expansion must be braced through investment in local support services.

See the two-page plain language article summary Local policy challenges for managing gambling development and harm in Leeds, United Kingdom in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling disorder is common among people living with HIV

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 15:45:00 GMT

This study examined gambling disorder among patients at an urban HIV clinic. The findings showed that the rate of gambling disorder was high among people living with HIV. Of the 100 patients in the study, 13 met the criteria for gambling disorder according to the DSM-5. Patients who had gambling disorder were more likely to report alcohol use, marijuana use, and heroine use than patients without gambling disorder. Patients with gambling disorder were also more impulsive. The Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen (BBGS) was able to accurately screen for people with gambling disorder when compared to the DSM-5 criteria. The findings stress the need for screening and treatment of gambling disorder in HIV clinics. The BBGS may be a quick and effective screening tool to do this.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Gambling disorder is common among people living with HIV', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

A review of Internet Gaming Disorder as a health issue for men

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 21:45:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is emerging as a serious health issue among men. Currently, there is little understanding of IGD. As a result, it often goes undetected. This article is a scoping review of current evidence related to IGD among men. It presents three themes: 1) the nature, impacts and symptoms of IGD; 2) conceptualizing IGD through neuroscience; and 3) treatment approaches. The review also offers implications for research and clinical work.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'A review of Internet Gaming Disorder as a health issue for men', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

The impact of long-term exposure to gambling on frontline casino employees in Macao

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Frontline casino employees may be affected by extreme emotions or aggression from people who gamble and who lose money. This research examined the impact of long-term exposure to gambling on frontline casino employees. The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 46 participants who held frontline jobs in casino license-holding companies in Macao, China. The researchers identified three themes, including (1) employees’ emotional responses to people who gamble, including indifference, sympathy, perplexity, and worry; (2) employees’ observations about organizational malpractice and negative social impacts of gambling (e.g., increased crime and financial harm to families); and (3) the impacts on employees’ personal lives, which range from negative to positive. For example, some participants did not experience much negative impact on their lives due to their job, while others discussed how they were tempted to gamble. A few participants viewed their experiences at work as warnings to help remind themselves or their families to not gamble.

See the two-page plain language article summary 'The impact of long-term exposure to gambling on frontline casino employees in Macao' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The role of socioeconomic status, perceived deprivation, and financial gambling motives in predicting problem gambling among U.S. adults

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 14:00:00 GMT

The purpose of this study was to examine the links between financial gambling motives, perceived deprivation, and socioeconomic status in predicting problem gambling. Perceived deprivation refers to the belief that one is financially worse off than others. A sample of 2,806 American adults was recruited using YouGov Opinion Polling in 2022. The sample was matched to the U.S. norms for age, gender, education, census region, and race/ethnicity based on the 2019 American Community Survey. The respondents completed a questionnaire asking about annual income, perceived deprivation, gambling problems, and gambling motives.

Overall, this study found that financial gambling motives were linked to more severe gambling problems. Respondents with higher levels of perceived deprivation were more likely to have financial gambling motives and lower income. Lower income and perceived deprivation were linked to more severe gambling problems. Income did not influence whether financial gambling motives increased the risk of problem gambling. But perceived deprivation influenced whether financial gambling motives increased the risk of problem gambling. Among respondents with high levels of perceived deprivation, gambling for financial reasons was more strongly associated with problem gambling.

See the article summary 'The role of socioeconomic status, perceived deprivation, and financial gambling motives in predicting problem gambling among U.S. adults' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Social media gambling ads: How are they impacting children and youth?

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 14:15:00 GMT

The authors of this study conducted a review of existing research studies on social media gambling ads. The article highlights the risks that youth, including children and young adults, can be highly exposed to social media gambling ads. This can lead to a more positive attitude towards gambling. Gambling ads are not always easy to recognize as they are created to seem funny and harmless to youth. Therefore, it is important to update policies and regulations on social media gambling ads.

Read the two-page plain language article summary Social media gambling ads: How are they impacting children and youth? in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A review of data science and AI models to identify problem gambling from a duty of care perspective

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 15:30:00 GMT

In many countries, online gambling operators are legally required to provide a duty of care to people who gamble on their website. This involves identifying possible problem gambling and intervening. To do this, many operators have turned to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models. This article is a review of studies that developed AI models to predict problem gambling. A total of 31 academic articles and 11 industry documents were reviewed. Most studies used behavioral indicators and some sociodemographic characteristics to predict problem gambling. Most models were developed to identify current problem gambling, rather than to forecast future problem gambling. Data were aggregated to 1–12-month periods, even though the original datasets provided information at the stake, session, or daily levels. Most studies used Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) to evaluate the performance of models, which was not optimal with imbalanced datasets. This review could inform policy makers, regulators, and operators.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'A review of data science and AI models to identify problem gambling from a duty of care perspective' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A scoping review of measures used to block offshore gambling websites

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 15:45:00 GMT

Offshore online gambling markets are hard to regulate. Regulators can use blocking to prevent access or financial transactions to unregulated gambling sites. But there is not much known about how well these strategies work. This scoping review found 14 publications focused mainly on blocking measures. The authors identified four main themes: implementation, effectiveness, risks, and alternatives. Overall, there is not much empirical research on the effectiveness of blocking measures. There is not much research on payment blocking in particular. The effectiveness of blocking measures depends on how they are implemented, particularly technically. The authors argue that more evidence with respect to the technical, legal, and commercial implications of blocking is needed.

See the two page plain language article summary A scoping review of measures used to block offshore gambling websites in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A framework for estimating the social costs of gambling using data from the Czech Republic

Mon, 19 May 2025 23:15:00 GMT

Gambling is a common recreational activity in many countries. However, gambling is also associated with numerous harms. The social costs of gambling are often difficult to estimate, and researchers have used different techniques to assess these costs. The goal of the present study was to provide a new method for calculating the social costs associated with gambling in the Czech Republic. Using an economic framework, the researchers separately estimated the private costs, externalities, and public costs of gambling. They used the Lie/bet scale and the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) to measure problem gambling.

It was found that private costs in 2022 were CZK 91.1–102.3 billion using the Lie/bet scale, or CZK 89.3–105.0 billion using the PGSI. The costs of externalities were CZK 2.6–4.8 billion using the Lie/bet scale and CZK 2.2–5.3 billion using the PGSI. Public costs were estimated to be CZK 5.6–8.0 billion using the Lie/bet scale and CZK 9.6–12.2 billion using the PGSI. The findings of the study suggest that this is a viable method for estimating the social costs of gambling.

See the two-page summary 'A framework for estimating the social costs of gambling using data from the Czech Republic' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Features and regulatory compliance of televised and social media gambling advertisements in Ontario

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 13:30:00 GMT

In two studies, the researchers looked at the features and regulatory compliance of gambling advertisements during live broadcasts of NHL and NBA games in Ontario and posted on X/Twitter between October 25th and October 29th, 2023. The results showed that viewers were exposed to a substantial number of gambling advertisements on both television and X/Twitter. While no advertisements targeted vulnerable groups (e.g., youth) or promoted incentives for gambling, the amount of gambling advertisements shown could be enough to influence gambling and increase its related harms. Almost half of the gambling advertisements posted on X/Twitter were content marketing. This could be seen as breaching advertising standards as content marketing was not clearly shown as advertising. The findings can inform current gambling advertisement regulations in Ontario.

See the two-page summary ‘Features and regulatory compliance of televised and social media gambling advertisements in Ontario' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Cognitive distortions explain the link between depression and gambling disorder

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 20:30:00 GMT

People with gambling disorder have cognitive distortions, which are beliefs and assumptions that are exaggerated or untrue. Many people with gambling disorder also have depression. This study examined if cognitive distortions might explain the link between depression and gambling disorder. Among individuals who were seeking treatment for gambling disorder, those with more severe depression symptoms had greater cognitive distortions and more severe gambling problems. When controlling for the effect of depression, those with greater cognitive distortions still had more severe gambling problems.

Cognitive distortions mediated the relationship between depression and gambling severity. In other words, among individuals with gambling disorder, those with more severe depression symptoms had greater cognitive distortions. This led to more severe gambling problems. Thus, cognitive distortions might be an important treatment target among individuals with both gambling disorder and depression.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Cognitive distortions explain the link between depression and gambling disorder', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Does restricted access to electronic gaming machines (EGMs) lower gambling problems?

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 10:15:00 GMT

Research indicates that electronic gaming machines (EGMs) are a particularly harmful form of gambling. It is unclear whether gambling-related harms from EGMs are a result of their harmful features, or because vulnerable individuals find EGMs especially attractive. In this study, the researchers used Australia as a “natural policy experiment” to examine whether restricting access to EGMs results in lower gambling harm. Western Australia (WA) is an Australian jurisdiction with only one casino where people can gamble on EGMs. In contrast, EGMs are much more widespread in all other regions in Australia, which have similar gambling-related regulations. The researchers conducted telephone interviews with people from WA and other Australian regions. They found that although people in WA had increased overall gambling participation, their participation in EGM gambling was approximately half compared to other regions. Also, people in WA were less likely to state that they experienced harm due to EGM participation. These findings suggest that restricting access to EGMs can substantially reduce gambling harms.

See the two-page plain language article summary Does restricted access to electronic gaming machines (EGMs) lower gambling problems? in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Is temporary self-exclusion from Internet gambling effective for at-risk gamblers?

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 21:45:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: This study evaluated the impact of a temporary 7-day self-exclusion program for at-risk gamblers in France. The self-exclusion from Internet gambling sites did not modify gambling habits in the short term (15 days after it ended). The impact was greater in the medium term. After two months, the self-exclusion gamblers had less irrational belief that they could control the outcomes of gambling games and believed more in their ability to stop gambling, compared to gamblers who did not use the program. The self-exclusion gamblers also decreased their desire to gamble more.

Read the two-page plain language research summary,'Is temporary self-exclusion from Internet gambling effective for at-risk gamblers?', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Casino expansion planned for London, ON

Wed, 12 Jul 2017 17:30:00 GMT

The private operator taking over Ontario’s gambling operations in Southwestern Ontario has plans for a full-blown casino at London’s Western Fair District, something much bigger than the modest raceway slots lounge that opened there amid a public uproar a generation ago. You can read more about it here.

Type of social interaction may affect women's gambling behaviour

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 17:15:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: This study reports that female college students gambled differently when gambling in the presence of someone displaying warm versus cold interactions. The women who gambled with someone who interacted warmly with them made fewer spins on the electronic gambling machine. They decreased the speed of their betting but placed larger bets over the course of the gambling session. The women who gambled with someone who interacted coldly with them increased the speed of their betting over the course of the gambling session. These results suggest that social interactions could affect women’s gambling behaviour.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Type of social interaction may affect women’s gambling behaviour', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

A review of the association between problem gambling and ADHD

Thu, 19 Dec 2019 19:30:00 GMT

This article is a review of past research on the relationship between ADHD and problem gambling. The researchers found 24 studies that were published between 1992 and 2014. Overall, there was a significant relationship between ADHD and problem gambling. People with problem gambling were 4.18 times more likely to have significant ADHD symptoms than those without problem gambling. People with ADHD were 2.85 times more likely to have problem gambling than those without ADHD. Age might influence the association between ADHD and problem gambling. Older age adults appeared to be more likely to report problem gambling if they also had ADHD symptoms. This article highlights the importance of screening for ADHD symptoms among people with problem gambling, and vice versa.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'A review of the association between problem gambling and ADHD', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Call for proposals: Indigenous Peoples Community Investment Program for Preventing and Reducing Gambling Harms in Ontario

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 18:30:00 GMT

The 2025-2026 call for proposals for Indigenous-led community impact projects is now open. This funding call is for gambling harm prevention, education, and support initiatives in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities across Ontario.

Applicants are to include representation from (any of) First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples, including Nations, governments, communities, councils, organizations, associations, and not-for-profit organizations. Funding is to be directed to an Indigenous-led organization.

The total available funds for this funding call are $400,000 CAD. Up to four projects will be funded for up to $100,000 each.

The deadline for expressions of interest is March 10, 2025 (23:59 EST)

Applications are due April 7, 2025 (23:59 EST)

For details on how to submit to this funding call, see the application guidelines.

Any questions about this funding call can be directed to corrine@greo.ca.

The experiences of people who gamble at high risk with a motivational telephone intervention to encourage safer gambling

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 14:00:00 GMT

AB Svenska Spel is a Swedish gambling operator that has implemented a motivational phone intervention for people who gamble at high risk. This study examined people’s experiences with the intervention. At 10 days after the intervention, participants answered a survey about their thoughts on the phone call and changes to their gambling habits. The researchers found that most participants (80%) reported feeling positive about the intervention. Around 37% of participants reported a decrease in their gambling due to the intervention. This study could encourage gambling operators to implement similar motivational interventions to encourage safer gambling among people who gamble at high risk.

Read the two-page plain language article summary The experiences of people who gamble at high risk with a motivational telephone intervention to encourage safer gambling in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Report: Testing alternative gambling harm measures

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:00:00 GMT

This report, commissioned by GambleAware, outlines the findings from testing screening tools that are considered alternatives to the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). The purpose was to understand how the other screening tools compare to the PGSI and how they might affect the proportion of people in Britain experiencing different degrees of gambling harm. A total of 4,456 people completed one of the alternative screening tools at random, two to three weeks after completing the annual GambleAware Treatment and Support Survey 2023. The report outlines findings for each of the seven alternative screening tools tested. Overall, it was concluded that using a different screening tool will result in a change in the composition of harm represented in any group. Changing to a different screening tool may have implications for research, and access to treatment and support if people are reclassified into new categories of harm.

See the full report, 'Testing alternative gambling harm measures', in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Adapting Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines for the Finnish context

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:00:00 GMT

This commentary discusses how the Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines (LRGGs) have been tailored to the Finnish setting to ensure cultural relevance and policy feasibility. The LRGGs were first developed in Canada through multiple phases of research using a large body of international data. However, the researchers noted that the first guideline uses monthly gross income to define the threshold for spending (i.e., spending no more than 1% of monthly household gross income on gambling). In Finland, income is usually viewed as personal instead of household-based, and salaries are usually described as income after taxes (net income). These cultural nuances make the guideline difficult to interpret and operationalize in Finland. Thus, the researchers proposed that the Finnish guideline should be adjusted to not spending more than 2% of personal net income.

See the two-page plain language summary 'Adapting Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines for the Finnish context' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Greo's reflections on the UK Gambling Act Review white paper

Tue, 09 May 2023 02:00:00 GMT

The UK Government has released the much-anticipated Gambling Act Review white paper, High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age, setting out the government's plan for reform of gambling regulation following the review of the Gambling Act 2005. The UK has a highly commercialised gambling market that is one of the biggest in the world in terms of gambling revenue and has changed significantly since 2005. Jurisdictions from around the world have much to learn from advancements in the UK.

Greo Evidence Insights participated in the Gambling Act Review Call for Evidence in 2021, for several years has worked in support of the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms in Great Britain, and for more than twenty years has been tendering gambling research and facilitating evidence insights internationally.

Like many stakeholders around the world, Greo closely follows developments to the UK’s gambling landscape, and we have been eager to explore the contents of the Gambling Act Review white paper. Our team was pleased to see several evidence insights shared by Greo referenced in the white paper.

The white paper outlines proposed reforms to the gambling industry, several of which are subject to a consultation process. Proposed reforms include:

a cap on online slot machine stakes,
affordability checks based on severity of loss,
increased powers and resources to enforce compliance given to the Gambling Commission,
the introduction of an independent ombudsman for consumers to seek redress when they have been treated unfairly,
the sharing of data on high-risk customers between operators,
the introduction of a statutory levy on gambling industry profits to fund treatment, education, and research, and
a review of the use of free bets, bonuses and wagering requirements, to ensure they are used in a socially responsible manner and do not encourage harmful or excessive gambling.

Whilst requiring changes to how bonuses and free bets can be marketed, the Gambling Act Review white paper does not call for additional measures to restrict the content or volume of gambling advertisements, rather encouraging a voluntary approach whereby the industry uses technology to de-target children and vulnerable people, and age-gating social media. Evidence suggests that advertising increases gambling participation and increased participation is associated with harms at a population level, especially among young people and the most vulnerable. It will be important to observe how effective a voluntary approach to gambling advertising reforms will be in protecting young and vulnerable people from the harms associated with early and prolonged exposure to gambling. We recognise that the broader digital ecosystem around online advertising and consumer protection is complex, and that the UK government and regulators are progressing several programmes of work related to this, which includes gambling advertising.

Greo will continue to work alongside our colleagues in the UK as the consultative process unfolds, and as these reforms are implemented. We will also follow how these reforms are implemented, derive lessons learned and continue to progress, facilitate, and mobilise evidence-based insights to reduce the harms related to gambling.

Perceptions of and engagement with the GameSense responsible gambling program

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:15:00 GMT

This study looked at factors that influence engagement with a responsible gambling program called GameSense. The researchers surveyed 1,109 adults who regularly gambled. Most participants were aware of GameSense and 17.6% had visited before. The researchers identified two classes of people who visited a GameSense Information Center: 'information seekers' and 'curiosity and swag inspired'. They identified three classes among those who had not visited a Center: 'invitation-responsive', 'self-assured non-believers', and 'self-assured'. People who engaged in more RG behaviours were less likely to engage with GameSense, possibly because they saw it as less relevant to themselves.

See the two-page summary ‘Perceptions of and engagement with the GameSense responsible gambling program' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Australian government releases recommendations to reduce harm from online gambling

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 15:30:00 GMT

The Australian government opened an inquiry into harm from online gambling in September 2022. The inquiry was intended to determine whether the current regulatory framework for online gambling and gambling advertising in Australia was fit for purpose and met community expectations. This report outlines the government's recommendations in response to submissions from the inquiry. The document is divided into five main sections: a national strategy on online gambling harm reduction; counselling and support services; regulating gambling to reduce harm; gambling advertising; and, simulated gambling and gambling-like activities. A summarized list of 31 key recommendations is located at the start of the report.

The recommendations include:

A comprehensive national strategy on online gambling harm reduction
A national online gambling regulator
An ongoing, online gambling public education campaign
Ongoing funding for gambling research
A requirement for online gambling operators to disclose de-identified customer data on a consistent basis
Solutions and resources to more effectively block offshore gambling websites
A comprehensive ban on all forms of advertising for online gambling and sport sponsorship

See the full report, You win some, you lose more: Online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm, linked in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Challenges in the understanding and measurement of gambling harm in current research

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 20:45:00 GMT

Gambling harm refers to the many negative consequences that arise from gambling. This concept is key to diagnosis, research, and public policies centred on gambling problems. In this article, the authors review progress and challenges in terms of how gambling harm is understood and measured in research. They then outline recommendations for future research aimed at strengthening current measures of gambling harm.

See the two-page summary 'Challenges in the understanding and measurement of gambling harm in current research' and full article in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Intimate partner violence in patients seeking treatment for problem gambling

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 21:00:00 GMT

People who have problem gambling may experience difficulties in many aspects of their lives, including their relationships. Relationship problems can include intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV is any physical, sexual or psychological aggression from an intimate partner. IPV may be common among people with problem gambling. This study measured how common IPV was in patients who were seeking treatment for problem gambling in the UK.

A total of 204 participants completed questionnaires about their gambling behaviour and mental health. They also answered questions about their experiences with IPV, specifically verbal and physical violence. Overall, 20% of participants reported IPV in their relationship. Participants who reported IPV had higher anxiety and depression levels than participants who did not. Some of the participants who reported IPV were perpetrators, others were victims, and some were both. Victims of IPV had more severe gambling problems than non-victims.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Intimate partner violence in patients seeking treatment for problem gambling' located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Setting gambling loss limit cut-offs based on income

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 14:15:00 GMT

This study examined whether gambling loss limits could be improved by being based on a person’s income. The researchers combined three surveys funded by the Norwegian Gambling Authority. A total of 14,630 responses were included in this study. The surveys included questions about gambling-related harm (measured by the Problem Gambling Severity Index; PGSI), annual income, and annual spending on gambling. The results showed support for determining gambling loss limit cut-offs based on income. The optimal gambling loss limit cut-offs were generally lower for lower income groups (compared to higher income groups). The optimal cut-off for meeting the threshold of moderate-risk gambling (PGSI score of 3+) was lowest for the lowest income group and highest for the highest income group. A similar trend was observed for problem gambling (score of 8+).

Read the two-page plain language article summary Setting gambling loss limit cut-offs based on income in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The role of loneliness in youth addictive behaviours: A cross-national study

Tue, 12 May 2020 21:00:00 GMT

Adolescents and young adults may be more vulnerable to addictive behaviours than older adults. Gambling, which can be very addictive, has become popular among youth. Additionally, excessive alcohol use and compulsive internet use may also be common among youth. Each of these addictions can be influenced by the same underlying causes, such as loneliness. This study looked at how loneliness is related to addictions in youths across three countries: the US, Finland, and South Korea. Participants (aged 15–25) from each country completed online surveys about loneliness and addictive behaviours.

There were differences across countries in the levels of loneliness, alcohol use, internet use, and gambling among youths. However, loneliness was linked to compulsive internet use in all three countries. In South Korea only, loneliness was also linked to excessive alcohol use and problem gambling. Thus, culture can affect how loneliness influences addictive behaviours in youths.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'The role of loneliness in youth addictive behaviours: A cross-national study', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Improving safer gambling messages from the viewpoints of academics, regulators, and treatment providers

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Safer gambling messages are a commonly used public health intervention. Little research, however, has examined the content and utility of safer gambling messages. In this study, the researchers conducted focus groups with gambling professionals, including academics, regulators, and treatment providers. In each focus group, participants were presented with five different types of safer gambling messages. Participants discussed various aspects of these messages and how to improve them. The researchers identified five main themes from the focus groups: (1) messages may be insufficient to change behaviour; (2) messages should respect the diversity amongst people who gamble; (3) messages should not contribute to gambling stigma; (4) messages should provide norm-based information thoughtfully; and (5) messages should trigger only positive, and not negative, emotions. These findings have implications for the development of safer gambling messages. They also highlight the importance of considering various factors when designing such messages.

Read the two-page plain language article summary Improving safer gambling messages from the viewpoints of academics, regulators, and treatment providers in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A review of qualitative studies on gambling-related suicide and suicidality

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 20:15:00 GMT

Gambling is linked to harmful consequences. One serious harm is suicide. Researchers reviewed qualitative studies on gambling-related suicide and suicidality (e.g., interviews and case reports). They aimed to identify the role of gambling in suicidality. A total of 20 academic, peer-reviewed qualitative papers were reviewed. Gambling was found to be related to suicidal behaviour through (1) indebtedness and (2) shame. Suicide was also found to be related to mental health conditions, personality traits, and difficult life conditions. But these factors might also appear as a result of gambling. In some cases, treatment was effective to prevent suicidality. But indebtedness and shame might prevent people from seeking help.

Read the two-page plain language article summary A systematic review of qualitative studies on gambling-related suicide and suicidality in Greo's Evidence Centre.

International efforts in the prevention of gaming and Internet use problems

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 15:30:00 GMT

There have been few studies about the prevention of gaming and Internet use problems. This review article summarizes the current state of international efforts in the prevention of gaming and Internet use problems. The scope includes several Western regions (USA, UK, Australia, and Germany) and East Asian regions (China, Japan, and South Korea). Prevention studies have mainly involved programs in schools to train healthier Internet use among youth. East Asian regions have prioritized and spent more resources on the prevention of gaming and Internet use problems compared to Western regions. South Korea’s efforts are a good example of responding to a public health threat, with wide government initiatives and long-term strategic plans.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'International efforts in the prevention of gaming and Internet use problems', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

What is the relationship between gambling disorder and crime?

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 17:30:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: The authors reviewed published research articles to understand the nature of crime committed by gamblers and the factors that may cause them to commit crime. The review shows that gambling-related crimes are typically non-violent crimes to recover the money lost to gambling. However, individuals with gambling problems may commit violent crimes at a higher rate than expected. The review suggests that current research may underestimate the number of violent and non-violent crimes gamblers commit. The authors suggest areas of future research to better understand the relationship between gambling disorder and crime.

Read the two-page, plain language research summary, 'What is the relationship between gambling disorder and crime?', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

An evaluation of the "Markers of Harm" system to identify users' risk for gambling harm

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 17:30:00 GMT

Behavioural markers can be used in identifying an individual’s risk for gambling harm based on their recent gambling behaviour. In the United Kingdom, the Senet Group, a gambling regulatory body, worked with major gambling operators to develop an algorithm to assess these behavioural markers. The resulting nine markers were called “markers of harm.” These markers of harm are used to create an overall risk score for each user. Different interventions are triggered based on a user’s overall risk score. This study evaluated the Markers of Harm system using sports betting data. Also, the researchers examined whether the Markers of Harm were associated with demographics (gender, age) and with proxies of gambling-related harm (e.g., account closure). Two samples of sports bettors, collected ten years apart, were used. The findings show that most users never had high enough risk scores to trigger an intervention. Markers of harm were associated with elevated gambling involvement and proxies of gambling-related harm. Younger age and male gender did not have a higher average risk score.

Read the article summary An evaluation of the “Markers of Harm” system to identify users’ risk for gambling harm in Greo's Evidence Centre.

New platform launched in UK featuring stories from people with lived experience of gambling harm

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 19:00:00 GMT

Tackling Gambling Stigma, a new initiative to bring together stories from a wide variety of people affected by gambling harm, launched their website on September 21st. The site features collections of stories from 27 men and women with lived experience of gambling harm. The team behind it, which includes Claire Wyllie, Alexander Källman, researcher Elizabeth Killick, wanted to create a safe public space where real people struggling with gambling difficulties are treated with empathy and understanding. The hope is that people who experience difficulties with gambling will feel less alone and be encouraged to start the process of recovery. The site is also intended for the public, for people to educate themselves about the realities of gambling harm and addiction, and see that those struggling may not be so different from them. In addition, the project will serve as a platform to advocate for making changes to the policies, regulations, and services that will better meet people's needs. Greo is currently working with the Tackling Gambling Stigma project team to develop a theory of change for this new initiative.

Visit the Tackling Gambling Stigma website to learn more about the project and gambling harm through reading, listening, and watching people share their experiences.

Bank gambling blocks: Recommendations from GamCare-led workshop on gambling related financial harm

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 16:00:00 GMT

UK charity GamCare held a virtual workshop on bank gambling blocks in March 2023 that brough together 67 professionals from across different sectors. Bank gambling blocks are free tools that help people to control their gambling through their existing bank account. A block works by stopping transactions that are categorised as gambling. A summary of key insights and recommendations for banks to consider in relation to gambling blocks is now available. The three-page summary lists many potential solutions to key challenges around the application of gambling blocks.

Some recommendations include:

The financial services industry should collectively raise awareness about gambling blocks and use every opportunity in the customer journey to educate people about gambling support tools.
Banks should assure people that the use of gambling blocks will not affect future credit applications.
Bank blocks should only be disabled by the customer (vs. automatic disabling after a certain period).
Gambling blocks should be active when a card is used in an e-wallet and/or mobile wallet.
Banks should allow customers to set gambling spending limits, in addition to gambling blocks.

See the three-page workshop summary Bank Gambling Blocks - Gambling Related Financial Harm Workshop #7 linked in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Bet You Can Help: A community first aid model for safer gambling

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 14:45:00 GMT

Gambling-related harms are a significant public health issue in Great Britain. These harms are often underrecognized and most people who experience harms go without support. Under the leadership of Addiction recovery Agency (Ara) and Beacon Counselling Trust (BCT), the Bet You Can Help (BYCH) programme is filling the need for place-based education and training to identify and address gambling related harms. The BYCH programme is a community first aid model for safer gambling that promotes the early identification of people who are at risk of gambling related harms. Offered as a Level 2 Qualification through the Royal Society of Public Health, this programme aims to reduce harms and prevent lives being lost from gambling related harms in Great Britain.

Greo developed this theory of change visual and narrative, which considers the inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes necessary to achieve these goals. It can be used by organizations, groups, and individuals in any sector impacted by gambling related harms in Great Britain.

See Bet You Can Help: A community first aid model for safer gambling in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A review of legacy harms that last beyond the period of gambling

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 20:00:00 GMT

Legacy gambling harms are the negative consequences that last beyond the period when people gamble heavily. This article is a review of types of legacy gambling harms, how long they last, and whether legacy harms are real or simply reflect regrets or remembrances of past harms. At an individual level, legacy gambling harms can be categorised into financial, relationship, emotional/psychological, health, culture, work/study, and criminal/deviance harms. Legacy harms also occur to families and the broader communities. Most legacy harms have a half-life of 4 years. Financial harms have a longer half-life of 5 years. People who experience more legacy harms have lower well-being. Moreover, well-being increases with greater distance in time from the past gambling issue. This suggests that legacy gambling harms have a real impact on well-being.

Read the two-page plain language summary A review of legacy harms that last beyond the period of gambling in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Problem gambling severity and suicide attempts in young adults

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Suicide is a leading cause of death among young adults. Additionally, research suggests suicidality and gambling severity may be related. In this study, the researchers analyzed data from a large longitudinal study in the United Kingdom. Participants consisted of youths (aged 16–24) who had gambled within the past year. They responded to the survey at both time points in 2019 (wave 1) and 2020 (wave 2). The researchers examined how changes in gambling severity might affect suicide attempts. The results suggest that increases in gambling severity over time are associated with increased risk of suicide attempts. These findings highlight that repeated screening for gambling harms should be included within relevant health and public service settings.

See the two-page plain language article summary The relationship between problem gambling severity and suicide attempts in young adults in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Call for applications to design and administer the lived experience access fund (LEAF)

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 18:00:00 GMT

On behalf of the Academic Forum for the Study of Gambling (AFSG), Greo is accepting applications from entities (charities, groups, consortiums, or any other group representing people with Lived Experience of gambling-related harm) to design and administer the Lived Experience Access Fund (LEAF). The total amount available is £25,000 (£20,000 to distribute to people with LE and £5,000 to the successful organisation to administer the funds). Eligibility for the funds is available to any entity (such as charities, groups, or a consortium of organisations and individuals) that can appropriately demonstrate project leadership provided by those with Lived Experience in gambling harm and be based in the UK.

Expressions of interest are due January 24th and applications are due February 14th, 2023.

For more information see the full applcation guidelines.

Experiences of people with lived experiences in gambling harm reduction efforts

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Lived experience (LE) involvement has emerged in many sectors. This study explored the involvement of LE in a UK regional intervention for addressing gambling-related harms. The researchers conducted focus groups and interviews with people with LE who were involved in the intervention, as well as project staff and senior stakeholders without LE. The researchers identified four main themes: (1) personal journeys to LE involvement; (2) the value added by LE to interventions for addressing gambling-related harms; (3) emotional impacts on people with LE; and (4) collective LE and diverse lived experiences.

See the research summary 'Experiences of people with lived experiences in gambling harm reduction efforts' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The revenue of the online gambling industry depends on high spending by a small number of people

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 20:30:00 GMT

The purpose of this study was to examine how dependent the online gambling industry is on people who gamble heavily. Seven leading gambling operators in Great Britain provided the researchers with data for 139,152 people who gambled at least once between June 2018 and June 2019. The findings showed that people who were in the top 20% in terms of amount of loss, generated 89.2% of the net revenue for the gambling operators. The top 10% of people generated 79% of operator revenue, and the top 1% of people generated 37%. But the bottom 50% of people generated only 0.5% of the net revenue. The revenues generated by sports betting and bingo were not as dependent on a small number of people with high spending. Even then, a few people accounted for a significant proportion of the net revenue. The researchers discussed how restrictions of account deposits or losses might pose a risk to gambling operators because a minority of people contribute significantly to their net revenue.

See the article summary 'The revenue of the online gambling industry depends on high spending by a small number of people' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Minority ethnic status, symptom severity, and psychosocial impairment among people with gambling disorder

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 13:30:00 GMT

In this study, researchers examined how minority ethnic status might be linked to gambling symptom severity and other clinical features. A total of 475 adults with gambling disorder were included in this study. These participants had taken part in clinic trials on pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy before. They were assessed for gambling severity, co-occurring mental and physical health problems, quality of life, and psychosocial functioning. Participants who self-identified as Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic (BAME) were more likely to start gambling at an earlier age than those who self-identified as white Caucasian. There were no differences between the two groups in terms of age when gambling became problematic; disability; current gambling disorder severity; previous suicide attempt(s); quality of life; and percent of salary lost in the past year to gambling. There were also no differences between the two groups in terms of the likelihood of having received treatment for gambling disorder or having attended Gamblers Anonymous.

Read the two-page plain language summary of this article Minority ethnic status, symptom severity, and psychosocial impairment among people with gambling disorder in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Understanding Australian gambling website customers' use and perceived impact of activity statements on gambling behaviour

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Providing people with accurate information about their gambling activity (e.g., money spent) could increase awareness of and reduce risky gambling. Australian gambling operators have been required to send active customers activity statements since mid-2022. In this study, the researchers looked at customers’ use of activity statements and their impact on gambling behaviour. They surveyed 1,647 customers from two gambling websites. Survey responses were matched to participants’ account data, including bets, transactions, and use of consumer protection tools.

The results showed that over half of participants (57.2%) opened activity statements at least sometimes. Two-thirds (63.9%) thought that activity statements were at least slightly important in helping them track their gambling spending. About 17.6% said that reading activity statements decreased their gambling, and 0.8% reported an increase. Overall, there was minimal evidence that activity statements carry negative consequences.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'Understanding Australian gambling website customers’ use and perceived impact of activity statements on gambling behaviour' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Harms and long-term effects of being exposed to parental gambling during childhood

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 15:15:00 GMT

It is known that gambling has negative impacts on children's wellbeing. Yet, little is known about the specific harms that children suffer. This study seeks to understand gambling harms that are directly attributed to regular parental gambling and how these harms affect later life outcomes. The researchers explored this in key areas of child wellbeing. The researchers used data from a national survey of Australian adults exposed to parental gambling as children. The results show high levels of psychological, relational, and financial harms, as well as abuse and neglect. Harmful impacts from parental gambling affected later life outcomes as adults.

See the two-page plain language article summary Harms and long-term effects of being exposed to parental gambling during childhood in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Factors linked to suicide attempts in men with gambling disorder

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 16:15:00 GMT

People who suffer from gambling disorder are at higher risk of attempting suicide than the general population. In a new study, researchers looked at suicide attempts, and health and life events in 621 men seeking inpatient treatment for gambling disorder in the UK. The researchers found that 22% of participants had previously attempted suicide. Those who had suffered from depression, had suicidal thoughts, or were currently taking medication were more likely to have attempted suicide. Additionally, those who had experienced a loss of home or family member were also more likely to have attempted suicide.

Read the article summary Factors linked to suicide attempts in men with gambling disorder in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Short-term use of a responsible gambling tool may not have an impact on gambling behaviour

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 20:30:00 GMT

Playscan is a responsible gambling tool offered on many gambling sites in Norway and Sweden. This study examined the use and effect of Playscan among 835 Norwegian gamblers, who had chosen to use Playscan and then opted out. The results showed a lack of repeated use of the tool’s functions. Most participants used the self-test to assess their risk level, but few requested advice on how to limit gambling. The short-term use of Playscan did not have much impact in terms of money spent or number of days gambled. Low-risk gamblers appeared to gamble more after having used the tool, but the increase in gambling was small. High-risk gamblers had a small decrease in the number of days they gambled but not in their spending. These results suggest that longer use of an RG tool and/or the use of the tool’s functions several times may be needed to have a positive impact on gambling behaviour.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Short-term use of a responsible gambling tool may not have an impact on gambling behaviour', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Greo report: Online Gambling Among Young Canadian Adults: A Call to Action

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:45:00 GMT

The report, Online Gambling Among Young Canadian Adults: A Call to Action, published by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, analyzes data collected from more than 8,000 people in Canada regarding their gambling activities. The data was collected in 2024 by Mental Health Research Canada as part of a broader online survey of mental health and was analyzed in collaboration with Greo Evidence Insights. The findings indicate that nearly one in four (23.5%) young adults, aged 18 to 29, who reported gambling online in the past year experienced high levels of gambling-related harms, including financial, emotional, psychological, and relationship harms. The report calls for a pan-Canadian strategy to address rising online gambling harms, including among young people.

See the report, Online Gambling Among Young Canadian Adults: A Call to Action, on the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction site. Also see the media release for the report.

Open access funding available for authors affiliated with a UK institution

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 00:30:00 GMT

Timely access to quality evidence is a key component of knowledge translation. Greo believes that providing free and open access to scholarly journal articles will remove barriers to access and allow a larger audience to benefit from existing evidence. To encourage the development of new knowledge through data sharing, we support open access publication of research that uses datasets identified in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Authors or research groups must be affiliated with a UK institution and may be awarded funding only once per year. Priority is given to:

Meta-analyses, systematic reviews of literature, and scoping reviews
Secondary data analyses using datasets listed in the GREO Evidence Centre
Manuscripts that directly address harm reduction
Manuscripts that include policy implications for harm prevention, reduction and/or mitigation
Researchers who are based in the UK

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis until all awards have been granted, up until November 1, 2021.

See Greo's Funding Opportunities page for details on how to apply.

The implementation of facial recognition technology to support self-exclusion programs in South Australia

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 14:15:00 GMT

In 2022, the South Australian (SA) government enacted legislation requiring any venue with 30 or more gaming machines to install facial recognition technology (FRT) for identifying barred patrons. This study examined the origin of the FRT legislation in SA, including how the initial idea was framed and who was involved in promoting it. This study further discusses how FRT was implemented and used in practice for supporting self-exclusion programs, as well as the future of FRT. The researchers used multiple data sources, including documents, interviews, and field observations. Overall, the results show how FRT does not better address the core issues underpinning problem gambling. In addition, FRT does not substantially improve conditions that support people with problem gambling. There are inconsistencies with how the technology is applied, as well as inefficiencies and uncertainties.

See the article summary 'The implementation of facial recognition technology to support self-exclusion programs in South Australia' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Exploring how passion for video games affects time spent gaming in university students

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 16:00:00 GMT

Passion can refer to an activity that people find meaningful and enjoy doing. Needs frustration occurs when obstacles prevent people from meeting their basic needs, such as the needs to feel competent and be connected to others. When people experience needs frustration, they may rely on their passion to help them meet their basic needs. In this study, the researchers explored passion for gaming, needs frustration, and time spent gaming. University students first completed an online questionnaire that asked about their passion for gaming, time spent gaming, and experience of needs frustration. They then completed five follow-up questionnaires about time spent gaming and needs frustration.

The researchers did not find a relationship between needs frustration and time spent playing video games. However, male students and those with low obsessive passion for gaming tended to spend less time gaming when they felt more frustrated with not meeting their needs. Higher obsessive passion for gaming predicted and was reinforced by needs frustration. As a result, the students may feel more frustration because their basic needs are not met elsewhere, which further reinforces their obsessive passion for gaming.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Exploring how passion for video games affects time spent gaming in university students', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Impacts of legalized gambling in Connecticut

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 23:30:00 GMT

This report examines the effect of legalized gambling on the citizens of Connecticut. The state requires periodic reviews of the impact of gambling. This is the first mandated research on the social and economic impacts of legalized gambling that the state has released since online casino gambling and sports betting were legalized in 2021. The last report on the impact of legalized gambling in the state was in 2009.

The 2024 study uses data from stakeholder interviews, population studies, surveys, operators, economic modeling, and mobile devices. In addition to reporting on the prevalence of gambling and problem gambling, the report also assesses the available problem gambling treatment resources and recommends best practices and regulatory changes.

Some of the main findings include:

People at risk of or experiencing problem gambling make up just under 7% of the population, but account for over 70% of gaming revenue.
1.8% of the population (50,000 people) were estimated to be experiencing problem gambling.
4.9% of the population were estimated to be at risk of gambling harm.
Higher rates of gambling harm were found for men, people under 65, Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, other ethnicities, and those with lower levels of education.
The population that struggles the most with problem gambling are American-born white men between 18 and 34.
Close to a third of people experiencing problem gambling were not aware of the state's problem gambling helpline. About half did not know about the state's voluntary exclusion programs.
The report recommends promotion and outreach to people most at-risk about how getting treatment for problem gambling can be effective, how cost-free treatment exists, and that seeking help is not shameful.

See the full report 'Impacts of legalized gambling in Connecticut' linked in Greo's Evidence Centre.

GREO supports the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms in Great Britain

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 21:15:00 GMT

In 2019, we were thrilled to announce GREO's new partnership with the Gambling Commission of Great Britain to support the recently launched three-year National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms in Great Britain.

The National Strategy aims to move quickly and enlist a broad range of partners to reduce gambling harms. The two strategic priorities are prevention and education and treatment and support, which include four important enablers: regulation and oversight, collaboration, evaluation, and research to inform action. GREO, an organisation specialising in knowledge translation and exchange, is supporting the National Strategy by applying our skills and expertise to support the Research to Inform Action enabler. GREO has developed a program of activities to support the strategy’s dissemination of research, applying research to policy, and international collaboration.

See our dedicated microsite, which supports the National Strategy's Research to Inform Action efforts by curating knowledge and evidence relevant to the research programme’s themes:

Defining, measuring, and monitoring gambling related harms
Patterns of play
Changes in gambling behaviour over time
What works in industry-based harm minimisation
Education and prevention
Treatment

View our new dedicated microsite to learn more about the Gambling Commission in Great Britain, the National Strategy, and GREO's work to move research into action.

Gambling, prevention, and the statutory levy

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 22:15:00 GMT

The purpose of this report was to examine existing ways of funding prevention activity for areas of public health similar to gambling in the United Kingdom. This research was conducted to inform the opportunity for a mandatory percentage of gambling operator profits directed to research, prevention, and treatment (i.e., a statutory levy). Consultations were held with stakeholders groups, which included 32 people in total. The consultations resulted in priority recommendations and a strategy development process. Challenges and opportunities are also highlighted.

Key findings include:

Local authorities would best co-ordinate prevention in their regions, given their experience and existing systems from work in other areas of public health.
An independent organization needs to oversee the work of local authorities.
A true public health approach to prevention is not possible given current legislation, but systems can be improved and steps towards foundational actions can be taken.
A multi-sectoral approach to gambling prevention and research is required, across local and national governments.

See the research summary 'Gambling, prevention, and the statutory levy' linked in Greo's Evidence Centre.

GREO reports on first year impact accelerating the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 21:15:00 GMT

The newly published report Accelerating Progress on the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms highlights the infrastructures, initiatives, and related impacts of GREO’s first year working with Strategy stakeholders, including the Gambling Commission, to make better and faster progress to reduce gambling harms.

GREO’s year one efforts focused on the Research to Inform Action enabler of the National Strategy, to widen the research base and improve links between research and policy. Together with our partners and key stakeholders, GREO delivered foundational work that established essential components for evidence-informed action.

Read the report and take a closer look at activity on our Research to Inform Action site.

Level of funding directed toward veteran support by Returned and Services League venues operating electronic gambling machines

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 18:00:00 GMT

In recent years, the gambling industry has made considerable effort in promoting the notion that gambling revenue can fund charities and ‘good causes.’ In Australia, Returned and Services League (RSL) venues are tasked with providing health and welfare services to veterans. However, the extent to which this occurs, as well as the role of gambling revenue in benefiting veterans, is poorly understood. The present study examined financial contributions that RSL venues make to support veterans through gambling revenue. The researchers assessed the funds provided to support the health and well-being of living veterans, commemorate fallen veterans, and reduce gambling harms among veterans. Overall, it was found that under 10% of funds were directed toward supporting veterans. Moreover, only a small proportion of funds was used to address gambling harms among veterans. The results indicate that most funds raised through gambling by RSL venues are not directed toward the veteran community.

See the two-page summary ‘Level of funding directed toward veteran support by Returned and Services League venues operating electronic gambling machines' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A review of behavioral addictions and how they are diagnosed

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 16:45:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: This research reviews evidence for three behavioral addictions including gambling disorder, Internet gaming disorder, and Internet addiction. The article outlines how these addictions are classified in the DSM-5. It reviews the prevalence rates, co-occurrence with other disorders, risk factors, and treatment options. Areas where research is still needed are also highlighted. For example, the need for standardized definitions and screening tools. This article could be useful to clinicians and researchers in the field of addictions.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'A review of behavioral addictions and how they are diagnosed', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Impact of marital status and motivations on problem gambling among older adults in Ontario

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 22:00:00 GMT

This study examined the impact of gambling motivations and social context of gambling on problem gambling among older adults aged 55 and older visiting seven gambling venues in Ontario, Canada. Participants were married, divorced, widowed, or single. The findings suggest that divorced, widowed, and single older adults had more gambling problems than married older adults. Being married and gambling with friends or family were associated with less gambling problems. Compared to married older adults, divorced women and single men were more likely to gamble due to loneliness and reported more gambling problems. On the other hand, widowed women who gambled to socialize reported fewer gambling problems. Gambling treatment and prevention programs could aim to decrease loneliness and social isolation in older adults. R

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Impact of marital status and motivations on problem gambling among older adults in Ontario', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

The Gambling Commission publishes an interim evaluation of the credit card ban

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 15:45:00 GMT

The Gambling Commission introduced a credit card ban in April 2020 to further protect consumers and make it more difficult to gamble with borrowed money. An interim evaluation of the ban indicates the action is popular among consumers and has not resulted in harmful unintended consequences.

As well, as part of Greo’s programme of work in support of the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms, Greo’s evaluation team managed a tender process and commissioned NatCen Social Research to conduct a full evaluation of the credit card ban. Findings are expected by February 2023.

Learn more about evaluation on Greo's Safer Gambling Evaluation Evidence Hub.

Recent evidence on gambling marketing content and effect on behaviour

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 20:30:00 GMT

This review explores gambling marketing research published from 2014 to 2018. The review suggests three key findings: (1) gambling marketing is highly targeted and mostly involves sports; (2) targeted content in gambling marketing influences people’s views of gambling, particularly children and people with gambling problems; and (3) gambling marketing can lead to more frequent and riskier gambling behaviour. The authors conclude with ideas for future research in this area.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Recent evidence on gambling marketing content and effect on behaviour', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

The use of data science in gambling research

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 15:15:00 GMT

This article is a review of research examining behavioural markers that may signal problem gambling. The authors discuss the use of data science and machine learning to analyze behavioural tracking data. Studies have reported a range of behavioural markers of problem gambling. These include both monetary markers (e.g., bet size) and non-monetary markers (e.g., number of days gambled). These behavioural markers may be combined with other factors, such as payment information, to identify high-risk gamblers and predict problem gambling. Recent research has also done more detailed analyses of gambling behaviour within a session to capture loss chasing. The authors provide insights into current research and challenges that need to be overcome to move the field forward.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'The use of data science in gambling research', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

A review of how gambling advertisements impact gambling attitudes, intentions, and behaviours

Tue, 02 Jun 2020 20:00:00 GMT

This article summarized the evidence on the link between gambling advertisement and gambling attitudes, intentions, and behaviours. The authors did a critical review of 27 studies. Findings revealed that higher exposure to gambling advertising was related to more favourable attitudes towards gambling. Also, people who were exposed to more gambling advertising had greater intentions to gamble. They tended to gamble more frequently and spend more money on gambling. Thus, there was some evidence for a dose-response relationship. The authors discussed the limitations in current studies and made suggestions for future research.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'A review of how gambling advertisements impact gambling attitudes, intentions, and behaviours', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Identifying research priorities in gambling through a large-scale expert study

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 20:45:00 GMT

In this study, the researchers contacted gambling experts, stakeholders, and regulators to gather opinions on gambling research priorities for the next five years. Some of the top research priorities were rates of problem gambling among underserved populations, emerging forms of gambling, and co-occurrence with other disorders. Additional research priorities highlighted the need for research on advertising, youth, and minority populations, and longitudinal data. Other top-priority topics included treatment options, prevention, and policy on advertising. Evaluating and tailoring existing interventions were prioritized over creating new interventions.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'Identifying research priorities in gambling through a large-scale expert study' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Product characteristics and risk - A current state assessment and template roadmap for building a more robust evidence base

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 21:30:00 GMT

This discussion paper identifies the lack of robust and systematic research on key concerns with current gambling product technology, and outlines what needs to be done to better understand why and how gambling products may contribute to the risk of harms. The authors propose a potential multi-year research program to assess gambling product characteristics and risks. This begins with establishing consensus around definitions, creating trust among researchers, and developing the use of gambling account data and product metadata. The areas of highest priority research are online sports betting and slots, as well as slots on electronic gambling machines in casinos, based on their potential to cause harm.

The document includes:

A conceptual model of what 'industry' encompasses in terms of types of gambling
Key trends that will likely impact the development of gambling products over the next ten years
A scan of the most high-quality and relevant research into gambling harm and associations with product characteristics
A proposed roadmap to facilitate interest holder discussion around how to address the most urgent and high-impact gaps in the research and considerations for policy

Link to the report 'Product characteristics and risk – A current state assessment and template roadmap for building a more robust evidence base' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Problem gambling, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and non-suicidal self-harm

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 13:30:00 GMT

New findings from analysis of the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey show that problem gamblers are more likely than rest of the population to have thought about suicide, made a suicide attempt, or self-harmed. These relationships remained strong even when other factors like substance abuse and mental health disorders were taken into account.

People who are in regular contact with problem gamblers, including gambling operators, treatment providers, and community groups need to recognize their vulnerability and the risk of suicide. Policies and procedures could be implemented or adapted to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to reduce suicidal behaviours and selfharm.

Read the two-page plain language report summary, 'Problem gambling, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and non-suicidal self-harm', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Transaction monitoring for harmful gambling and proactive interventions

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

This document summarizes key insights and proposed practical actions from a workshop organized by UK charity GamCare on transaction monitoring by financial institutions for harmful gambling. It recommends that all financial institutions analyse and monitor customer data so that they can identify harmful gambling. Upon identification, financial institutions should have tailored interventions based on risk level so they can intervene and support customers to prevent further harm. At lower levels, the focus should be on providing information, support, and tools to control gambling behaviour. For people at high risk, institutions must offer protections similar to fraud detection and prevention, and intervene as soon as possible to prevent harm. It is also important to test, monitor, and evaluate gambling interventions to see what customers respond to and ensure that the interventions result in behaviour change.

Specific recommendations of indicators to monitor include:

Data that shows excessive gambling activity (using indicators such as frequent transactions with gambling operators, high gambling spend compared to income, late night/early morning gambling transactions, attempting to gamble with an active gambling block, etc.).
Data that shows the customer is in financial difficulty or is using lending products to fund gambling (using indicators such as being in arrears on credit commitments, repeat overdraft use, use of high-cost credit, etc.).
Gambling activity after an unusually large amount of money has been deposited into a customer’s account (using indicators such as savings transferred to current account, insurance payout, inheritance, loan, etc.).

See the full report 'Transaction monitoring for harmful gambling and proactive interventions: Gambling Related Financial Harm Workshop #9' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The Safer Gambling Movement: A grassroots approach to adopting a public health approach to gambling in England

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 16:15:00 GMT

The Safer Gambling Movement describes Addiction Recovery Agency and Beacon Counseling Trust’s leadership in developing a suite of innovative programs to build momentum for a national public health approach to gambling harms in Great Britain. The theory of change chart and accompanying narrative, produced by GREO as the project’s evaluation partner, considers the inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes necessary to achieve these goals.

The movement works to prevent gambling in three ways:

Primary prevention: preventing at-risk behaviour
Secondary prevention: reducing the harms for those who are at-risk
Tertiary prevention: offering treatment to reduce gambling harms

See the Safer Gambling Movement theory of change chart and narrative in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Current Advances in Gambling Research conference wrap-up

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 15:45:00 GMT

On May 19th and 20th 2022, the GREAT Network Wales (GREAT), together with the Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA) and Greo hosted the Current Advances in Gambling Research conference, bringing the event to Wales for the first time.

CAGR is a unique event, independent of gambling industry funding and produced collaboratively alongside individuals with lived experience of gambling harm.

In advance of the UK Government’s forthcoming review of gambling laws, 2022 has seen unprecedented popular debate on a wide range of gambling issues, from advertising, sponsorship and research funding to the concept of ‘responsible’ gambling, and vulnerability to harm. It is vital that stakeholders can access high-quality research which offers a thorough and accurate understanding of such issues.

Opened by Rt Hon Carolyn Harris MP, CAGR 2022 brought together over 125 leading researchers, clinicians and experts by experience from across the world, for two days of talks on the latest developments in gambling research and treatment.

Keynote speakers included GREAT Network Co-Director, Prof Henrietta Bowden-Jones OBE of the UK National Behavioural Addictions Clinic, Dr Heather Wardle of the University of Glasgow, Dr Luke Clark of the Centre for Gambling Research, University of British Columbia, and Dr Joël Billieux of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Twenty further international speakers presented across 4 themes (Populations Vulnerable to Gambling Related Harm; Neural, Cognitive and Motivational Processes in Gambling; Gambling Advertising, Social Media, and Emerging Data Platforms; and Tracking, Preventing and Treating Gambling Related Harm), with a further 25 presentations via poster.

CAGR 2022 also saw the launch of a brand-new academic society: the Academic Forum for the Study of Gambling. The AFSG is dedicated to advancing rigorous, independent research needed to effectively prevent, reduce, and address gambling harm in the UK.

Professor Simon Dymond, member of the CAGR 2022 Organising Committee and Outreach Co-Chair for the AFSG, said, ‘This hugely successful conference, which was twice postponed due to the pandemic, is testimony to the growing international research interest in gambling behaviour and the importance of developing further, evidence-based treatments for harmful gambling. A highlight of the conference was hearing from those with lived experience of gambling harm who bravely shared their stories and underlined that co-produced research with academics is essential to drive the field forward. We look forward to the continued success of the CAGR conference series.’

For images of presentations and commentary on the event, visit the conference hashtag #CAGR2022

About Current Advances in Gambling Research

The annual CAGR conference brings together experts with academic, clinical, and lived experience to discuss the latest developments in gambling research and treatment in a supportive and critically reflective environment. CAGR is multi-disciplinary and welcomes contributions from all academic perspectives to the scientific study of gambling and the treatment of gambling related problems. CAGR 2022 was co-funded and co-organised by the GREAT Network Wales (greatwales.org), Society for the Study of Addictions (addiction-ssa.org) and Greo (greo.ca), with the support of the new Academic Forum for the Study of Gambling (afsg.org.uk/membership). The next CAGR conference will take place in London (UK) in 2023: for further information, visit cagrconference.org and follow us @cagrconference.

Peer support groups for women experiencing gambling harms in the UK

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 20:15:00 GMT

This report, published by Betknowmore UK, outlines the gambling peer support groups that are currently available to women in the UK. It explores the strengths and weaknesses of the groups for women who attend them and for the organizations that provide them. The researchers conducted interviews with 11 women and with 10 stakeholders. The stakeholders interviewed were from Betknowmore UK, GamLearn, The Broke Girl Society, Breakeven, GAMILY, GamFam and Gordon Moody. Findings include that peer support groups have many benefits for both the participants and peer support workers. For example, the sharing of lived experience allowed people to feel understood and to form deep connections with others. However, groups were found to need additional support to promote engagement and help to prevent relapse. One of the recommendations is to target peer support groups to specific population groups, especially those who would not usually engage with support services.

Access the full report, Peer support groups for gambling harms, through Greo's Evidence Centre.

New NatCen report: Gambling harms and coping with marginalization and inequality: Marginalization, isolation and criminalization in Great Britain

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 14:00:00 GMT

This report from the United Kingdom's National Centre for Social Research includes findings from the results of six scoping reviews, to summarize existing evidence on gambling harms among marginalized, socially excluded, and/or communities subject to moralization and/or criminalization. The focus is on rates of gambling harms, drivers of gambling harms, and barriers and facilitators to treatment and support.

The six communities were in Great Britain and consisted of:

Criminalised and/or moralized communities (including people who use drugs).
Migrants in vulnerable circumstances (e.g., asylum seekers) and transient communities.
People living with disabilities, neurodiversity, and/or mental health challenges.
People with experience of unemployment, peripheral employment, or insecure employment.
People who experience or are at risk of homelessness.
Older people.

Findings include:

There was limited evidence about rates of gambling harm in these six communities.
Gambling was used as a way to cope with difficult emotions or experiences.
Gambling was used to meet the need for entertainment/social connection.
Gambling/gambling venues were seen as accessible and inclusive.
Gambling was motivated by financial issues, such as low incomes/pensions and financial responsibilities.
There was limited evidence about specific service and healthcare needs for these communities.
There is an urgent need for more research to explore gambling harms among these communities.

See the full report, Gambling harms and coping with marginalization and inequality: Marginalization, isolation and criminalization in Great Britain, linked in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Relationships between stimulant use and gambling among adolescents

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 17:00:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: Research exploring the possible associations between stimulant drug use and gambling is scarce. The current study found that the use of any stimulant drug increased the likelihood of frequent gambling and at-risk/problem gambling among both male and female high-school students. Adolescents who used stimulants often (six or more times in the past year) were at high risk of being frequent gamblers and at-risk/problem gamblers. Use of crack cocaine increased the risk of frequent gambling the most, and use of methamphetamines increased the risk of at-risk/problem gambling the most.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Relationships between stimulant use and gambling among adolescents', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Post-lockdown survey: The impact on health risk behaviours

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 14:30:00 GMT

This survey looks at changes in health risk behaviours post-lockdown in New Zealand. It focuses on alcohol use, smoking, gambling, and health and wellbeing. The survey is a follow-up to the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 survey, which examined the impact of lockdown on the same health risk behaviours. Key results showed that gambling levels are less than pre-lockdown across all gambling types, including online gambling. The survey was conducted by Nielsen, an independent research company.

Read the full report on the Health Promotion Agency's website.

Mental health as a predictor of online gambling one year later in a large cohort of Canadian adolescents

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Online gambling is becoming more prevalent among youth. Research has found a number of risk factors linked to gambling behaviour among young people. However, most of these findings have been based on cross-sectional studies that collect data at one time point only. In the present study, the researchers analyzed longitudinal data to identify potential mental health predictors of future online gambling. A total of 26,818 Canadian students in grades 9 to 11 were included in the study. It was found that young people who scored high on depressive symptoms, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation were more likely to report online gambling one year later. However, when all mental health predictors were analyzed together, only young people with high depressive symptoms were more likely to report online gambling one year later. The results highlight the role of mental health in online gambling risk among youth.

See the two-page plain language summary 'Mental health as a predictor of online gambling one year later in a large cohort of Canadian adolescents' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Evidence-based interventions to address problem/disordered gambling among people experiencing homelessness

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 18:30:00 GMT

Homelessness and problem/disordered gambling (PDG) are serious social and public health issues. PDG is more prevalent in people experiencing homelessness. The nature of the relationship between homelessness and PDG is still being explored. The purpose of this commentary is to examine the status of current evidence-based screening and interventions for addressing PDG among people experiencing homelessness. The authors found an almost complete absence of such evidence-based interventions, with only two studies identified. This article presents a call to action to address PDG in the context of homelessness.

See the two-page summary ‘Evidence-based interventions to address problem/disordered gambling among people experiencing homelessness' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Responsible gambling officer position paper

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 00:15:00 GMT

This document outlines the details of the New South Wales government's 2024 decision to require hotels and registered clubs with more than 20 gaming machines to have a responsible gambling officer. The officers will have advanced training in the 'responsible conduct of gambling'. Venues are also required to maintain an incident register of potential or actual incidents of harm. These additional requirements reflect the increased risk of gambling harm from gambling machines. The introduction of responsible gambling officers is meant to create a culture of proactive harm minimization.

Read the report 'Responsible gambling officer position paper' linked in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling and problem gambling in US military members, veterans, and civilians

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 16:30:00 GMT

Current military members and veterans may be at higher risk of gambling harms than civilians. A new study surveyed adult residents of the state of New Jersey, USA to ask about their military service, gambling behaviour, substance use, and mental health. Overall, the researchers found that current military members gambled more online and were at higher risk of problem gambling than veterans or civilians. Within current military members and veterans, those who used tobacco, had substance use problems, or had suicidal ideation were at higher risk of problem gambling. Finally, women who served in the military were at higher risk of problem gambling than men who served.

Read the article summary Gambling and problem gambling in US military members, veterans, and civilians in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Development of a health-related quality of life measure specific to people with gambling problems

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 20:30:00 GMT

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) refers to quality of life related to a health condition. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a new measure of HRQoL for use among people with gambling problems, the Gambling Quality of Life Scale (GQoLS). The final GQoLS had 21 items that captured five dimensions: “emotion”, “lifestyle”, “loneliness”, “taboo”, and “preoccupation”. The GQoLS was found to be associated with the Problem Gambling Severity Index and a generic questionnaire to assess HRQoL (the EQ-5D). These results suggest that the GQoLS is a valid measure for use among people with gambling problems.

Read the two-page plain language article summary Development of a health-related quality of life measure specific to people with gambling problems in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Is ethnicity a risk factor for gambling disorder? Findings from registry data in Norway

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 00:45:00 GMT

Research suggests that people from ethnic minority groups are more likely to have gambling disorder. In this study, the researchers examined ethnicity as a risk factor for gambling disorder while controlling for citizenship, years of residency, and other demographics. They used data from two large Norwegian registries. The researchers compared people with gambling disorder to people from the general population and those diagnosed with other disorders.

The researchers found that people from ethnic minority groups were more likely to be diagnosed with gambling disorder when controlling for age and sex only. The results were reversed, however, when controlling for citizenship and years of residency also: people from ethnic minority groups were more likely to be diagnosed with gambling disorder. These results suggest that people from ethnic minority groups may be more likely to experience gambling disorder but less likely to seek treatment for it.

See the two-page plain language article summary 'Is ethnicity a risk factor for gambling disorder? Findings from registry data in Norway' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

A systematic review of the effectiveness of public health messaging in reducing or preventing gambling-related harm

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 17:00:00 GMT

This article is a review of current evidence regarding the effectiveness of messaging interventions to prevent and reduce gambling-related harm. The focus is on primary prevention. This review highlights the limitations of current evidence and potential improvements for public health gambling messaging. It calls for more targeted and independently designed messaging, especially given that industry-led messaging is not effective. By identifying key gaps and offering suggestions for improving messaging, this review could help shape future public health strategies to prevent and reduce gambling-related harm.

See the two-page summary 'A systematic review of the effectiveness of public health messaging in reducing or preventing gambling-related harm' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Factors associated with in-play sports betting and related harms

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 09:00:00 GMT

In-play betting is a new form of sports betting that involves betting on specific sporting outcomes while a game is ongoing (e.g., which team will score the next goal). In-play betting may be associated with greater gambling-related harms. In this study, the researchers examined individual and contextual characteristics (e.g., gambling problems, impulsivity, and substance use while gambling), as well as motives associated with in-play sports betting. The researchers found that childhood trauma and impulsivity were associated with making more in-play bets. Additionally, people who drank alcohol and used cannabis while gambling were more likely to experience harms due to in-play betting. Problem gambling and other factors, such as coping motives, also increased the risk of harms due to in-play betting.

See the two-page plain language article summary Individual, contextual, and motivational factors associated with in-play sports betting and related harms in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The role of rumination in gambling and depression

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 19:30:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: This cross-sectional study examined the link between rumination and problem gambling severity. The main findings suggest that the rumination sub factor brooding is associated with symptoms of pathological gambling. Specifically, an increase in brooding was associated with an increase in problem gambling severity. Clinicians can screen for brooding to help treat and prevent problem gambling or depressive symptoms. Although, more longitudinal research is needed.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'The role of rumination in gambling and depression', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

New partnership: ARA Gambling Services and Beacon Counselling Trust

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 19:00:00 GMT

GREO is pleased to announce its new partnership with UK organizations ARA Gambling Services, Beacon Counselling Trust, and PG Solutions to evaluate two safer gambling pilot programs: a train-the-trainer model accredited by the Royal Society of Public Health, and an education and awareness campaign designed for Players by Players.

For more information about GREO's impact evaluation services, contact Evaluation Specialist Jess Voll, jess@greo.ca.

Current Advances in Gambling Research Conference 2022

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 18:45:00 GMT

The second Current Advances in Gambling Research (CAGR) Conference will be held on May 19th and 20th, 2022 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cardiff, Wales. The aim of the conference is to provide a forum for academic researchers and clinicians to discuss all aspects of gambling research and treatment. The CAGR Conference is multi-disciplinary and welcomes contributions from all academic perspectives to the scientific study of gambling and the treatment of gambling related problems.

Keynote speakers:

Joël Billeaux, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
Henrietta Bowden-Jones, National Behavioural Addictions Clinic
Luke Clark, Centre for Gambling Research, University of British Columbia
Heather Wardle, School of Social & Political Sciences, University of Glasgow

The CAGR Conference 2022 is supported by funding from the Gambling Research, Education and Treatment (GREAT) Network Wales (via Health and Care Research Wales), the Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA), and Greo.

Organising committee

Simon Dymond, Amanda Roberts, Steve Sharman

For more information, visit cagrconference.org.

Applying the Canadian Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines in England

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Problem gambling poses a significant public health challenge in the UK. However, many people who gamble and experience gambling problems never seek treatment. Instead, many people look for self-directed ways to reduce their gambling harms. The Canadian Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines (LRGGs) were developed to serve this need. The LRGGs, however, were developed without the use of data from the UK. In this study, the authors analyzed a large set of data from England to examine whether the Canadian LRGGs could be applicable in the UK. The researchers found that increased frequency of gambling and higher number of gambling games engaged in were related to increased gambling harms. Based on their findings, the researchers concluded that the Canadian LRGGs may be applicable to the UK population. More research on the applicability of these guidelines, however, needs to be conducted.

Read the two-page plain language article summary Applying the Canadian Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines in England in Greo's Evidence Centre.

What do researchers currently know about internet gaming disorder?

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 17:00:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: This review summarizes what is known about internet gaming disorder in children and young adults. The articles and books included the review described the definition, symptoms, prevalence, and risk factors for internet gaming disorder. Overall, there was no clear definition and prevalence rates varied across the globe. The knowledge gaps identified by the review could be explored further by researchers. For example, there is a lack of longitudinal research and research in preschool aged children.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'What do researchers currently know about internet gaming disorder?', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Gambling behaviours and problems among trans and gender diverse youth

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 20:30:00 GMT

This study examined the prevalence of gambling behaviours and problems in transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth and cisgender youth. The researchers analyzed data from 80,929 students in grades 9 and 11. The results revealed that 2.7% youth identified as TGD. Involvement in most gambling behaviours was higher among TGD youth. TGD youth were also more likely to be at risk for problem gambling. When the researchers compared using gender identity and birth sex, TGD youth who were assigned male at birth were at most risk for gambling involvement and problems compared to other groups. TGD youth who were assigned female at birth also showed higher rates of problem gambling than cisgender females.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Gambling behaviours and problems among trans and gender diverse youth', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Features of smartphones and harmful sports betting behaviour among young adults

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 13:30:00 GMT

In this study, researchers examined how using smartphones can influence sports betting by young adults. The researchers interviewed 33 Australians aged 19–29 years. These participants bet regularly on sports, esports, and/or fantasy sports. The researchers identified seven major themes. The themes included platform functionality; sourcing betting information; physical accessibility; financial accessibility; social influences; privacy; and marketing. The researchers created a model that shows how features of smartphones, online gambling, and betting apps combine in smartphone betting. This provides instant access to betting anywhere and at any time, which can lead to harmful betting behaviours. Such behaviours include increased betting participation; increased frequency and spending; placing a wider variety of bets; impulsive and spontaneous betting; placing riskier bets; chasing losses; and acting on social encouragement to bet.

Read the two-page plain language article summary Features of smartphones and harmful sports betting behaviour among young adults in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Greo publishes Prevention and Education Review: Gambling-Related Harm

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 16:30:00 GMT

In support of the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms, Greo is excited to launch the Prevention and Education Review: Gambling-Related Harms.

The Prevention and Education Review: Gambling-Related Harm is a peer reviewed report—the outcome of an international collaboration of top gambling experts.

The report was created in support of the National Strategy to reduce Gambling Harms in Great Britain, and provides a new and up-to-date evidence base for policies, programs, and practices that aim to reduce gambling harms through prevention and education.

Topics in the report include:

Regulatory restrictions
Population-based safer gambling messaging and tools
Targeted safer gambling messaging (children, youth, older adults)
Brief interventions for prevention, early intervention, and harm reduction
Systems and tools that limit access to gambling and/or funds

Visit the Prevention and Education Review Hub to learn more about the project and to download the report.

Estimating the social surplus of gambling in France by gambling types

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 11:45:00 GMT

In this study, the researchers describe the framework they used to measure social surplus, then estimate the surplus of gambling in France. The social surplus of gambling can be calculated by adding the consumer surplus, the producer surplus, and the taxation revenue. The researchers used data for the year 2019 and only considered legal gambling. The researchers found that the consumer surplus of people with problem gambling was negative for all types of gambling. The social surplus was a net loss of about 6 billion euros. The researchers also analyzed different scenarios, including changing the threshold of excessive gambling (vs. recreational gambling). The social surplus was negative in all scenarios for poker and sports betting. It was positive in all scenarios for draw lotteries and scratch cards.

Read the two-page plain language article summary Estimating the social surplus of gambling in France by gambling types in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling disorder as a risk factor for suicidal behaviour: A Swedish nationwide study

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:45:00 GMT

Gambling disorder (GD) is considered a risk factor for suicidal behaviour. This study is the first nationwide study that compares suicidal behaviour in people with GD and people without GD. The study also explored risk factors associated with suicidal behaviour. Data were obtained from the Swedish National Patient Register (NPR) and the Swedish Cause of Death Register (CDR). All adults in the NPR who received a GD diagnosis between January 1, 2005, and June 30, 2019, were included. For each case, two age- and gender-matched adults without GD were included as controls. Suicidal behaviour was defined as either complete suicide or suicide attempt. A total of 10,782 adults were included in the study, with 3,594 GD cases and 7,188 controls. Among the GD cases, 17.7% displayed suicidal behavior, compared with 1.6% in the control group. The researchers found a risk increase for suicidal behaviour if diagnosed with GD, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and substance use disorders. Female sex was also a significant risk factor for suicidal behaviour.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'Gambling disorder as a risk factor for suicidal behaviour: A Swedish nationwide study' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Problem gambling risk among Americans who participate in sports betting: Demographic characteristics and legal status

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 19:15:00 GMT

Concerns have been raised about whether the legalization of sports betting in the United States (U.S.) could increase rates of problem gambling. In this study, the researchers looked at the relationship between the legal status of sports betting across U.S. states, demographic characteristics, and problem gambling risk. They used data from 1,281 adults who participated in sports betting. In an online survey conducted between March and April 2022, participants answered questions about their demographic characteristics and problem gambling.

In both states where sports betting had been legalized and states where it remained illegal, older age and higher education level were associated with lower likelihood of problem gambling. In illegal states, being male was associated with lower likelihood of problem gambling. In legal states, being single was associated with higher likelihood of at-risk gambling. After accounting for demographic factors, the legal status of sports betting on its own was not related to problem gambling risk. The findings suggest that sports betting policy and interventions should consider demographic risk factors, rather than simply considering whether to legalize or not legalize this type of gambling.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'Problem gambling risk among Americans who participate in sports betting: Demographic characteristics and legal status' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Experiences of sports betting harm among young adults

Tue, 26 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT

This study sought to understand the lived experiences of sports betting harm among young people. The study examined the barriers and catalysts for making change, as well as the change strategies used. The researchers interviewed 50 Australian young adults aged 18–25 years who reported sports betting harm. Financial harm was the most frequently reported harm, followed by emotional harm. Participants also described harm to work and study, relationship harm, and harm to physical health. Barriers to making change included not being ready for change, not feeling that a change was needed, and confidence in beating the system. Catalysts for change included fear of addiction, realizing the extent of losses, and reaching a crisis point. Participants used various change strategies, with self-help strategies such as setting deposit limits the most common.

See the two-page plain language summary 'Experiences of sports betting harm among young adults' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The relationship between problem gaming and suicidality

Thu, 19 May 2022 20:15:00 GMT

This article is a review of current evidence on the relationship between problem gaming and suicidality. The authors found 12 studies that were published between 2009–2021. All 12 studies examined suicidal ideation. Three studies also examined suicide attempts. None of the studies looked at suicide as an outcome. Overall, the findings suggest that problem gaming is associated with suicidal ideation. The evidence concerning suicide attempts is weaker. This review provides insights into current evidence regarding problem gaming and suicidality, as well as the limitations.

Read the article summary The relationship between problem gaming and suicidality in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Experiences of harm by children of parents who regularly gamble

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:30:00 GMT

Children’s wellbeing can be affected by parental problem gambling. In this study, the researchers interviewed 20 adults who reported one or more gambling harms due to parental gambling while they were under the age of 18 years. Overall, the results are consistent with previous research on impacts of parental problem gambling. Participants mentioned experiencing a range of harms, including distress or upset, being left unsupervised, not having enough money, relationship problems, and abuse. Some participants had to take on parental roles by taking care of their siblings, household chores, and finances. These childhood experiences made it challenging for the participants to complete formal education. Such experiences might also contribute to ongoing difficulties in adulthood.

See the two-page plain language article summary Experiences of harm by children of parents who regularly gamble in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Characteristics of people who cash out during in-play sports betting

Wed, 15 May 2024 23:00:00 GMT

The purpose of this study was to examine the demographic, gambling-related, and psychological characteristics of people who cash out during in-play sports betting. A total of 224 adults living in Ontario, Canada, completed an online survey. All participants had engaged in in-play sports betting in the last three months. Just over half (52%) of the participants used the cash-out feature while engaging in in-play sports betting. Compared to participants who did not use the cash-out feature, those who did were typically younger, had heavier use of alcohol and cannabis, and reported increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. They were also more likely to bet on sports to make money than those who did not cash out. The main reasons that participants cashed out were because (1) they wanted their money right away; (2) they wanted to limit their losses; and (3) they believed that it was less risky to cash out. These findings can inform initiatives to reduce harms associated with in-play sports betting.

See the research summary 'Characteristics of people who cash out during in-play sports betting' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Banks' support of individuals experiencing gambling-related financial harm

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 19:00:00 GMT

This report presents findings from research on how banks could further contribute to minimizing serious gambling-related harm that their customers experience. The report examines measures that banks currently take to support people experiencing gambling related harm and how these existing measures can be optimized to prevent gambling harm. The research involved interviews with people who had lived experience of gambling harms, an analysis of banks' legal and regulatory obligations, and interviews with representatives from banks.

The findings included:

Bank gambling blocks are an important tool with limited effect, but their effect is enhanced when combined with other measures.
Banks are in a unique position to help, since banks have some data about gambling spend, income, and transactional meta-data for gambling (e.g., time of transaction and speed of expenditure).
Some banks have increased personal interaction with people experiencing gambling harm, through direct face-to-face interaction (on the phone, by live chat, messaging, or in branch). Other banks focus more on the automation of remote support in the context of mobile and online banking.

Link to the full report by Queen Mary University of London in Greo's Evidence Centre: A unique position and a difficult challenge: Banks’ support of individuals experiencing gambling-related financial harm

Factors linked to higher gambling frequency in adolescents in 28 European countries

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 20:15:00 GMT

This study aimed to identify factors associated with higher gambling frequency in adolescents across 28 European countries. Using the machine learning method Random Forest, the researchers identified factors that were most relevant to predicting gambling frequency in each country. Gambling prevalence among adolescents varied widely across countries. Some common factors linked to higher gambling frequency were identified in several countries, such as alcohol use, other substance uses, and school absenteeism. Additional factors included video gaming, social media use, a lack of parental monitoring, and specific leisure activities. Ease of getting money from parents showed contrasting results.

See the two-page plain language summary of this article 'Factors linked to higher gambling frequency in adolescents in 28 European countries' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Gambling advertising may negatively affect problem gamblers

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 21:45:00 GMT

New Research Snapshot: The aim of this study was to investigate if gambling advertising could negatively affect Swedish players to gamble more often and bet more money than they would otherwise. The researchers analyzed data that were collected in 2014 for the Swedish Longitudinal Gambling Study (Swelogs). Participants were 2163 gamblers aged 22 and older. They found that most participants believed advertising had no effect on their gambling behaviour. Those who reported that they were negatively affected by advertising were more likely to have gambling problems. In addition, those who gambled online, gambled monthly or more often, and were in the age group of 30-49 years were more likely to report negative influence from gambling advertising. The results of this study show that few gamblers are negatively affected by gambling advertising. But its effect on some gamblers, especially problem gamblers, should not be neglected.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Gambling advertising may negatively affect problem gamblers', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Mandatory play breaks on video lottery terminals do not reduce money or time spent gambling

Thu, 19 Dec 2019 19:45:00 GMT

Mandatory play breaks are a common responsible gambling tool designed to prevent problem gambling. Forced breaks in play are thought to be especially helpful for continuous gambling activities such as video lottery terminals. The researchers examined if forced breaks in play resulted in less time and money spent gambling in a real-world setting involving 7,190 VLT players in Norway. The researchers found that forced breaks in play were associated with more (not less) money and time spent gambling in the session following the break, compared to gambling sessions that did not trigger the breaks. The researchers suggest this result could be due to “heavier” gamblers being more likely to trigger forced breaks in play.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Mandatory play breaks on video lottery terminals do not reduce money or time spent gambling', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

The impact of COVID-19 on online gambling in Ontario, Canada

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 14:15:00 GMT

In this study, the researcher investigated how COVID-19 affected people’s gambling behaviour, mental health, and substance use during the first six weeks of Ontario’s state of emergency. Study participants were 2,005 adults living in Ontario who gambled in the past year. They completed an online survey about gambling behaviour, mental health, substance use, and financial impact of COVID-19. A total of 1081 participants gambled online during this time. Participants who gambled online while using cannabis or alcohol were more likely to have problems with gambling, finances, and mental health status. Participants with anxiety or depression were also more likely to have gambling problems. Participants who gambled online during COVID-19 were more likely to have lost some or all of their income. They were more likely to gamble to earn income, to chase their losses, and to feel less nervous or depressed.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'The impact of COVID-19 on online gambling in Ontario, Canada', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

How do people who gamble view gambling marketing?

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Gambling-related harms significantly affect the lives of people who gamble and their loved ones. Research indicates that gambling marketing likely contributes to gambling-related harms. In this study, the researchers explored how people who gamble view gambling marketing and the role it plays within their gambling lives. The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with ten adults between the ages of 20 and 32. The participants reported gambling frequently (at least three days week). The researchers identified three main themes: (1) gambling marketing as a way to increase chances of winning; (2) gambling marketing as a test of self-control, as it tempts people to gamble; and (3) safer gambling messages from gambling companies as ineffective and insincere. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing gambling marketing and developing effective safer gambling messages.

See the two-page plain language article summary How do people who gamble view gambling marketing? in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Greo publishes social network analysis of gambling harm research in the UK

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 21:00:00 GMT

In 2019, the Gambling Commission announced a National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms for Great Britain. Underlying the strategy is the Framework of Harms, outlined in Measuring gambling-related harms: A framework for action. "The Framework" adopts a public health approach to address gambling-related harm in Great Britain across multiple levels of measurement. This report examines existing research expertise relevant to the Framework among academics based in the UK during the 12-year period from 2008 to 2019. The aim is to understand the extent to which the Framework factors and subfactors have been studied to identify gaps in expertise and provide evidence for decision making that is relevant to gambling harms research priorities.

A social network analysis was conducted to identify coauthor networks and assess the alignment of research publications to the Framework. The findings show considerable variation by framework factor in the number of authors and collaborations, suggesting a need to develop additional research capacity to address under-researched areas. The Health factor subcategory of Mental Health comprised almost three-quarters of all citations, with the Resources factor subcategory of Money and Debt a distant second at 12% of all citations. The Relationships factor, comprised of two subfactors, accounted for less than 10% of total citations.

See the full report, "Research expertise and the Framework of Harms: Social network analysis, phase one", located in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Responsibilities for gambling harm prevention and reduction in newly regulated license-based markets

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Preventing harms from online gambling involves input from numerous stakeholder groups. In this study, the aim was to explore stakeholder perceptions of gambling harm prevention responsibilities in four jurisdictions that recently introduced a license-based model for online gambling: Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Ontario, Canada.

The researchers interviewed 10 key informants. Overall, participants believed that universal measures to prevent and reduce gambling harms are largely the responsibility of policy makers and regulators. Selective measures aimed at people who gamble were expected to be carried out by regulators and the industry. Targeted treatment-focused measures were expected to be carried out by healthcare professionals, regulators, and the industry. Numerous barriers to harm prevention and reduction were identified.

See the two-page plain language summary 'Responsibilities for gambling harm prevention and reduction in newly regulated license-based markets' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Individual-frame and system-frame gambling policies and interventions: A global review

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 23:45:00 GMT

This article is a review of legislative changes in gambling policy in 33 jurisdictions across the world from 2018 to 2021. It examined whether health and wellbeing is a focus within these gambling legislative changes and the extent to which individual-frame and system-frame perspectives are apparent. Harmful gambling is recognized as a health and wellbeing issue in most of the jurisdictions. But almost all jurisdictions focus on individual-level harms instead of wider social and economic harms, or harms to others. As well, the authors found that most prevention measures focus on individual responsibility. This research highlights how addressing gambling as a system-level public health issue is not yet being incorporated into legislation across jurisdictions.

See the two-page plain language article summary 'Individual-frame and system-frame gambling policies and interventions: A global review’ in Greo's Evidence Centre.

Different framing of gambling risk information influences people's understanding of their chances of winning

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 21:30:00 GMT

In Great Britain, online gambling games must display warning information about people’s chances of winning. Different ways of framing the information can influence people’s understanding. In this study, adults who played online games were shown either return-to-player or house-edge warning labels. Both labels communicated the same information about the chance of winning. Experiment 1 tested if different labels with varying payout sizes influenced what people thought about their chances of winning. Participants who saw the return-to-player labels consistently thought their chances of winning were higher than participants who saw house-edge labels. Experiment 2 explored how the two warning labels were understood. More participants correctly understood the house-edge label than the return-to-player label. Thus, house-edge warning labels could better help people to understand their gambling risks and chances of winning.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Different framing of gambling risk information influences people’s understanding of their chances of winning', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

A systematic review of prevention programs for young adults

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 15:00:00 GMT

Young adults may be a vulnerable group for developing problem gambling. However, it is still unknown what prevention programs work for them because much of the research has focused on children and adolescents. This systematic review provides a summary of existing literature on prevention programs for young adults in the last 20 years. Only nine studies were found to be relevant and included in the review. All studies targeted university or college students. Most studies used a Personalized Normative Feedback approach, which produced good results in reducing problem gambling behaviours.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'A systematic review of prevention programs for young adults', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Analyzing the content of UK gambling operators' Twitter accounts at the start of a football season

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 14:30:00 GMT

This study examined how the 10 largest UK gambling operators used Twitter to promote gambling and interact with their followers. The researchers analyzed 3375 tweets that were posted during the opening weekend of the 2018–2019 English Premier League football season. Results revealed that the gambling operators used Twitter to link gambling with sporting events and to advertise betting. All operators used hashtags to draw attention to a specific match or a football team. By using different strategies such as hashtags, polls, and humour, their messages could reach more people. The gambling operators rarely posted messages about responsible gambling. When they did, the messages were often embedded within other promotions.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Analyzing the content of UK gambling operators’ Twitter accounts at the start of a football season', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Family conflict and financial problems as risk factors for suicide among gamblers

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 17:45:00 GMT

This study examined the risk factors of suicide among adults who had sought help from a problem gambling help-line. Female gender, greater financial problems, and greater family conflict increased the risk of thoughts of suicide and suicide attempts among people with gambling disorder. The relationship between financial problems and suicidal thoughts/attempts was influenced by family conflict. That is, greater financial problems resulted in more family conflict among people with gambling disorder. Greater family conflict led to increased risk of suicidal thoughts/attempts. These findings suggest that family conflict may be important to address in people with gambling disorder who are experiencing financial problems.

Read the two-page plain language research summary, 'Family conflict and financial problems as risk factors for suicide among gamblers', located in GREO's Evidence Centre.

Understanding gambling-related harms using a UK-based online self-help gambling forum

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 13:45:00 GMT

Gambling-related harms can have a significant negative impact on people who gamble. Yet, most people will not seek formal treatment. Online self-help forums are a popular alternative. They allow people who gamble to anonymously seek help from others. This study collected data from a UK-based online self-help forum to better understand gambling-related harms. The results showed the co-occurrence of different harms in the posts. Emotional/psychological and health harms were the most salient harms that appeared in the posts.

See the two-page summary ‘Understanding gambling-related harms using a UK-based online self-help gambling forum' in Greo's Evidence Centre.

The relationship between gambling disorder and suicidality

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 17:30:00 GMT

People who engage in disordered gambling are at higher risk of suicide. The nature of the relationship between disordered gambling and suicide is not clear. One way to study the effect of genetics and environment versus the causal effect of the behaviour on suicidality is to examine twin pairs. Twins where one twin had gambling disorder symptoms and the other did not were queried about suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts. The researchers found that the relationship between disordered gambling and suicidal thoughts and plans in women was mainly due to genetics and environment. But, disordered gambling appeared to have a causal effect on suicide attempts in men. The causal effect might be explained by the financial hardship due to gambling.

Read the article summary The relationship between gambling disorder and suicidality in Greo's Evidence Centre.