A new study has found that, in most cases, voluntary gambling harm-reduction tools just do not work, as people do not use them. Although such gambling harm minimisation tools are aimed at providing people with the chance to set deposit limits or exclude themselves from services that could result in problem gambling behaviour.
The research has been held among 40,000 Australian gamblers by the University of Sydney’s Gambling Treatment and Research Clinic (GTRC). It found that the decision of the Government to establish a self-exclusion policy had greatly affected online gambling behaviour. The study also concluded that when online gamblers were not required to use voluntary tools to reduce gambling-related harm, they simply did not use such options.
The findings of the research have been published in the Psychology of Addictive Behaviours journal.
The study, which was held into some of the leading gambling websites in Australia, found that most of the 6,000 customers who used deposit limits stuck to these limits for about a year. One in four decided to change the betting limits to make it less restrictive and one in eight gamblers decided to fully ditch the limit.
Associate Professor Sally Gainsbury, who is one of the study’s authors, explained that it is important for self-exclusion and betting limit setting policies to be successful. Professor Gainsbury further noted that similar opt-out strategies could be used to encourage other measures encouraging safer gambling and responsible gambling behaviour.
Betting Limits and Self-Exclusion Scheme Remain Most Used Gambling Harm Miminisation Measures
As revealed by Dr Robert Heirene from the School of Psychology and the Brain and Mind Centre, a policy implemented in May 2019 that required gambling websites to offer their customers options to set a betting limit had major implications for customer protection. Dr Heirene explained that an increase in the use of deposit limits was registered at the same time when a new government policy regarding self-exclusion or deposit limits.
According to Associate Professor Gainsbury, the fact that the number of people who set monthly deposit limits for their gambling increased right after the self-exclusion scheme was officially introduced by the Australian Government. The number of people who took advantage of the scheme rose by almost 5,000% from 4 to 187 on a single website, which proved the effectiveness of the self-exclusion options although they are simple and inexpensive.
She further noted that the strategy could be tested for encouraging other responsible gambling behaviours, including spending limits on other forms of gambling. According to her, the careful consideration of measures that would control customers’ gambling, such as the self-exclusion scheme, is very relevant for the time being, especially considering the cashless gambling trials that are currently underway across the country and would help both regulatory authorities and gambling operators get a clearer picture of customer protection and responsible gambling promotion.
- Author
Daniel Williams
