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A Content Analysis of Problematic Gambling Prevention Interventions in the United States

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Abstract

Gambling revenue in the United States is at all-time highs while recent and forthcoming legislation relaxes constraints on casino gaming, sports betting, and fantasy sports betting. Increased gambling will result in increased problematic gambling, highlighting the need to study the impact of our problematic gambling prevention interventions. To address this, we conducted a content analysis of problematic gambling prevention messages in the U.S. Results reveal that although there is overlap between theoretically-based messaging appeals recommended by research and those used in actual prevention interventions, health behavior theory is inconsistently applied and there are numerous examples of potential backfire effects. Results are discussed in terms of their impact on theory development and their noteworthy practical application.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Notes

  1. Some question whether DFS betting qualifies as a gambling activity or a skills-based competition. One recent investigation found that DFS players were more likely to endorse DSM-5 gambling disorder criteria than those who did not play fantasy sports (Edson & LaPlante, 2020).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Communication, University of Miami, 5100 Brunson Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA

    Zixiao Yang, Bonnie E. Deal, Nick Carcioppolo, Yuan Zhao & Ashley Marie Sewall

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  1. Zixiao Yang
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  2. Bonnie E. Deal
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  3. Nick Carcioppolo
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  4. Yuan Zhao
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  5. Ashley Marie Sewall
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Contributions

Material preparation and data collection were performed by Zixiao Yang, Bonnie E. Deal, and Nick Carcioppolo. Analysis was conducted by all authors. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Nick Carcioppolo, Bonnie E. Deal, and Zixiao Yang. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Zixiao Yang.

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Yang, Z., Deal, B.E., Carcioppolo, N. et al. A Content Analysis of Problematic Gambling Prevention Interventions in the United States. J Gambl Stud 40, 51–64 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-023-10237-8

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