Applications of data science for responsible gambling: a scoping review

Ghaharian, Kasra; Abarbanel, Brett; Phung, Dylan; Puranik, Piyush; Kraus, Shane W.; Feldman, A. D.; Bernhard, Bo J.

doi:10.1080/14459795.2022.2135753

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 53 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Skewness within datasets of players' behaviour could be problematic, for example, where the playing patterns of outliers may be underrepresented (Seif El-Nasr & Kleinman, 2020). This has been observed in many studies on risk-detection algorithms, where cases of at-risk gamblers are relatively small (Ghaharian et al, 2022). The granularity of information present within datasets can also lead to Algorithmic Flaws.…”

Section: Algorithmic Flawsmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Player data and AI support a variety of commercial use-cases including recommendation systems, fraud detection, and customer relationship marketing (Auer & Griffiths, 2023;Chui et al, 2018). They also assist stakeholders to curb the potential negative impacts of gambling (Ghaharian et al, 2022). Gambling-related harms, such as addiction, are an ongoing concern for established regulated jurisdictions and can be a major impediment for locales considering new legislation (Kolandai-Matchett & Wenden Abbott, 2022).…”

Section: Gambling Data and Artificial Intelligencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, the bulk of extant gambling literature has focused on AI-use for consumer protection, with independent discussion and scrutiny of profit-driven use-cases (e.g., marketing, game design, etc.) severely lacking (Ghaharian et al, 2022). Furthermore, gambling licensing objectives have been established in many jurisdictions, and it is important these are upheld as new technologies emerge.…”

Section: The Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…VSE is a tool that allows patrons to voluntarily bar themselves from a gambling venue. VSE has been commonly used as a target variable in algorithms that attempt to predict problem gambling by modelling the behaviour of self-excluders (Ghaharian et al, 2022). Griffiths and Auer (2016) provide conceptual reasoning as to why VSE is not a reliable proxy measure for problem gambling, stating that individuals self-exclude for a variety of reasons (e.g., frustration with an operator) and that problem gamblers who do selfexclude are not useful "targets" given that they have already begun to change their behaviour (via use of a responsible gambling tool).…”

Section: Algorithmic Flawsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Identifying Risks and Ethical Considerations of AI in Gambling: A Scoping Review

Ghaharian,

Binesh

2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The proliferation of data and artificial intelligence (AI) throughout society has raised concerns about its potential misuse and threats across industries. In this paper we explore the risks and ethical considerations of AI applications in gambling, an industry that makes significant contributions to many tourism destinations and local economies around the world. We conducted a scoping review to collect the breadth of literature and to understand the current state of knowledge. Our search yielded 2,499 potentially relevant documents, from which we deemed 16 as eligible for inclusion. A content analysis revealed convergence around six main themes: (1) Explainability, (2) Exploitation, (3) Algorithmic Flaws, (4) Consumer Rights, (5) Accountability, and (6) Human-in-the-Loop. We found that these gambling-specific themes largely overlap with broader AI principles. Most records focused on algorithmic strategies to reduce gambling-related harm (n = 12/16), thus we call for more attention to be turned to commercially driven AI applications. We provide a theoretical evaluation that illustrates the challenges involved for stakeholders tasked with governing AI risks and associated ethical considerations. As a globally reaching product, gambling regulators and operators need to be cognizant, not just of philosophical principles, but also of the rich tapestry of global ethical traditions.

show abstract

Section: Algorithmic Flawsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Gambling Data and Artificial Intelligencementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Algorithmic Flawsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Identifying Risks and Ethical Considerations of AI in Gambling: A Scoping Review

Ghaharian,

Binesh

2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Provided this information is presented in a meaningful and timely manner, feedback interventions may improve gamblers’ understanding of their actual gambling behavior given estimations of net outcomes are commonly inaccurate (Heirene et al, 2022). Finally, behavioral tracking systems utilize account-based behavioral data to detect individuals showing indicators of risky gambling (Deng et al, 2019; Ghaharian et al, 2023; Haeusler, 2016). These predictions can be used to guide the delivery of tailored interventions as part of a staged approach (Gainsbury, Black, et al, 2020), including proactive supportive interventions led by venue staff (Jonsson et al, 2020; Rintoul et al, 2017).…”

Section: The Digitalization Of Payments From a Consumer Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Cashless gambling: Qualitative analysis of consumer perspectives regarding the harm minimization potential of digital payment systems for electronic gaming machines.

Swanton,

Tsang,

Collard

et al. 2024

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective: Land-based gambling venues remain predominantly cash-based despite broader consumer trends toward digital payments. Little prior literature directly investigates the role of payment methods in gambling; however, digital payment systems offer a key intervention point for gambling harm minimization. This study explores the perspectives of electronic gaming machine (EGM) gamblers regarding the concept of cashless gambling-the ability to gamble without using physical currency. Method: Twenty-six Australian EGM gamblers (10 females, 16 males; aged 24-76 years) participated in four online focus group discussions. Using content analysis and a pragmatic approach, data were organized thematically in relation to consumer perceptions about the benefits and risks of cashless gambling, factors potentially influencing uptake of cashless gambling, and recommendations about harm reduction features that could be incorporated into the system. Results: Cashless gambling was perceived to present important opportunities for more useful and meaningful harm reduction measures based on the ability to track a user's complete gambling activity. However, participants reported reluctance toward adoption of cashless gambling, tending to perceive such systems as being overly restrictive and invasive, and potentially facilitating (over)spending, depending on design and implementation. Participants commonly perceived systems as offering little value to individuals who gamble without experiencing significant harms. Conclusions: Perceived irrelevance and privacy concerns appear to be major barriers to adoption of a cashless gambling system with strong harm reduction features. Our findings provide insights for policy makers considering the optimal design, implementation, and marketing of cashless gambling from a harm reduction perspective. Public Health Significance StatementA mandatory account-based digital payment system offers important opportunities for minimizing harms associated with electronic gaming machine use. However, consumers tend to view harm reduction tools as not being relevant to themselves. To ensure that systems effectively reduce gambling harm, the voices of people who gamble need to be included in the policy-making process-as to be effective, the system must be used by consumers.

show abstract