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Proximal and Distal Risk Factors for Gambling Problems Specifically Associated with Electronic Gaming Machines

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Abstract

Electronic gaming machines (EGMs) are widely used and the gambling product most commonly associated with harmful gambling. Understanding factors that increase the risk of problematic EGM play is therefore important. Previous studies into risk factors for EGM gambling have used measures of problem gambling based on an individual’s total gambling activity, which therefore do not distinguish harmful gambling specifically associated with EGMs. This study used an EGM-specific measure (PGSI-EGM) to achieve its aim of identifying risk factors specifically associated with problematic EGM play. By removing nuisance effects from other gambling forms that higher-risk gamblers typically engage in, this approach provides a more accurate assessment of the determinants of EGM-related problems. An online survey was completed by 1932 at-least monthly EGM players in Australia. It measured demographics, EGM gambling behaviour, motivations, gambling urges, gambling fallacies, trait self-control, alcohol misuse, and the PGSI-EGM. A penalised regression model identified the most important proximal predictors of higher-risk EGM gambling as: higher gambling urges, higher levels of erroneous cognitions, playing EGMs more frequently, higher session expenditure, longer sessions, usually playing EGMs alone, and playing EGMs in more venues. Lower trait self control was the strongest distal determinant. Higher-risk EGM players tended to be younger, male, more educated, never married, to have higher (although still modest) incomes, and be more likely to have alcohol problems. These findings can inform interventions such as treatment, consumer education and venue interventions.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by internal funding from the Centre for Gambling Education and Research at Southern Cross University. The second author was a member of this Centre at the time that the data were collected.

Funding

Nerilee Hing has received research funds from the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, Gambling Research Australia, Australian Government Department of Social Services, Alberta Gambling Research Institute, the Australian Gambling Research Centre, the Queensland, New South Wales, Victorian and South Australian Governments, the Australian Research Council, and Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety. She has also received consultancy funds from Echo Entertainment and Sportsbet and an honorarium from Singapore Pools for membership of its International Advisory Committee. Alex Russell has received funding from Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation; New South Wales State Government; Queensland Justice and Attorney-General; Gambling Research Australia; National Association for Gambling Studies; Australian Communications and Media Authority and the Alberta Gambling Research Institute. He has received industry funding for an evaluation of problem gambling amongst casino employees from Echo/Star Entertainment Group. He is also affiliated with the University of Sydney.

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  1. Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, CQUniversity, G.24 Building 8, University Drive (off Isis Hwy), Bundaberg, QLD, 4670, Australia

    Nerilee Hing

  2. Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, CQUniversity, 400 Kent St, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia

    Alex M. T. Russell

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Correspondence to Nerilee Hing.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Ethics approval was obtained from Southern Cross University’s Human Research Ethics Committee (approval ECN-16-092) and through reciprocal approval by CQUniversity’s Human Research Ethics Committee (approval H16/05-135).

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Hing, N., Russell, A.M.T. Proximal and Distal Risk Factors for Gambling Problems Specifically Associated with Electronic Gaming Machines. J Gambl Stud 36, 277–295 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-019-09867-8

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