Lottery ticket and instant win ticket gambling: exploring the distinctions

Short, Megan; Penney, Alexander M.; Mazmanian, Dwight; Jamieson, John

doi:10.4309/jgi.2015.30.x

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…In a large Canadian survey study (Short et al 2015 ) the amount of scratch-card gambling that participants engaged in was negatively correlated with level of education; no other demographic variables (e.g., age, sex, marital status) were meaningfully correlated with frequency of scratch-card play. Another study found that Ontario baby boomers who played scratch cards reported participating in more forms of gambling than those in the cohort who did not report playing these games (Papoff and Norris 2009 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Increased Urge to Gamble Following Near-Miss Outcomes May Drive Purchasing Behaviour in Scratch Card Gambling

2016

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Previous research into scratch card gambling has highlighted the effects of these games on players’ arousal and affective states. Specifically, near-miss outcomes in scratch cards (uncovering 2 of 3 needed jackpot symbols) have been associated with high levels of physiological and subjective arousal and negative emotional evaluations, including increased frustration. We sought to extend this research by examining whether near-misses prompted increases in gambling urge, and the subsequent purchasing of additional scratch cards. Participants played two scratch cards with varying outcomes with half of the sample experiencing a near-miss for the jackpot prize, and the other half experiencing a regular loss. Players rated their urge to continue gambling after each game outcome, and following the initial playing phase, were then able to use their winnings to purchase additional cards. Our results indicated that near-misses increased the urge to gamble significantly more than regular losses, and urge to gamble in the near-miss group was significantly correlated with purchasing at least one additional card. Although some players in the loss group purchased another card, there was no correlation between urge to gamble and purchasing in this group. Additionally, participants in the near-miss group who purchased additional cards reported higher levels of urge than those who did not purchase more cards. This was not true for the loss group: participants who experienced solely losing outcomes reported similar levels of urge regardless of whether or not they purchased more scratch cards. Despite near-misses’ objective status as monetary losses, the increased urge that follows near-miss outcomes may translate into further scratch card gambling for a subset of individuals .

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Increased Urge to Gamble Following Near-Miss Outcomes May Drive Purchasing Behaviour in Scratch Card Gambling

2016

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“…Indeed, this gambling activity (and lottery products in general) appear to be popular among this demographic (Felsher et al 2004 ; Boldero et al 2010 ), with many studies reporting high prevalence rates (Donati et al 2013 ; Griffiths 2000 ; Wood and Griffiths 1998 ). This form of gambling is also known to be popular among adults (Papoff and Norris 2009 ; Short et al 2015 ; Williams et al 2006 ). Thus scratch cards are both appealing and popular.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reinforcing Small Wins and Frustrating Near-Misses: Further Investigation Into Scratch Card Gambling

et al. 2016

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Scratch card games are incredibly popular in the Canadian marketplace. However, only recently have researchers started to systematically analyze their structural characteristics and how these in turn affect the gambler. We present two studies designed to further understand the underlying physiological and psychological effects that scratch cards have on gamblers. We had gamblers (63 in Experiment 1, 68 in Experiment 2) play custom made scratch cards involving a small win, a regular loss and a near-miss—where they uncovered two out of the three symbols needed to win the top prize. Our predictions were that despite near-misses and losses being objectively equivalent (the gambler wins nothing) gamblers’ reactions to these outcomes would differ dramatically. During game play, skin conductance levels and heart rate were recorded, as well as how long gamblers paused between each game. Gamblers’ subjective reactions to the different outcomes were then assessed. In both studies, near-misses triggered higher levels of physiological arousal (skin conductance levels and heart rates) than losses. Gamblers paused significantly longer following small wins than other outcomes, and reported high arousal, positive affect and urge to gamble—a constellation of results consistent with their rewarding properties. Importantly near-miss outcomes were rated as highly arousing, negative in emotional tone, and the most frustrating of all three outcome types examined. In Experiment 2, when we measured subjective urge to gamble immediately after each outcome, urge to gamble was significantly higher following near-misses than regular losses. Thus, despite not rewarding the gambler with any monetary gain, these outcomes nevertheless triggered higher arousal and larger urges to gamble than regular losses, a finding that may explain in part, the allure of scratch cards as a gambling activity.

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“…21 In a Canadian analysis that controlled for demographic factors and the frequency of traditional draw-based lottery play, frequency of scratch card play predicted additional significant variance in problem gambling severity. 22 Further, longitudinal data suggests that the frequency of scratch card play may predict problem gambling over a 5-year timespan. 23 An examination of problematic gambling in Massachusetts found that of those problem gamblers who had a problematic form of gambling, instant lottery games were the most commonly reported game type.…”

Section: Connections To Gambling-related Harmmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence brief: Scratch card near-miss outcomes

Greo¹

2019

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Lottery ticket and instant win ticket gambling: exploring the distinctions

Cited by 8 publications

References 22 publications

Increased Urge to Gamble Following Near-Miss Outcomes May Drive Purchasing Behaviour in Scratch Card Gambling

Increased Urge to Gamble Following Near-Miss Outcomes May Drive Purchasing Behaviour in Scratch Card Gambling

Reinforcing Small Wins and Frustrating Near-Misses: Further Investigation Into Scratch Card Gambling

Evidence brief: Scratch card near-miss outcomes

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