Optimal content for warning messages to enhance consumer decision making and reduce problem gambling

Abstract

Warning messages for electronic gaming machines (EGMs) have been mandated to increase consumers' ability to make informed rational decisions and reduce excessive gambling consumption. However existing warnings have limited effectiveness. This paper presents the results of the first in situ trial of dynamic warnings for EGMs to evaluate the impact of message content. A series of dynamic warning messages was displayed across EGMs in venues. Gamblers (N=667) completed surveys to assess message recall and impact on thoughts and behaviours. Participants recalled messages that encouraged self-appraisal to a greater extent than messages providing information. Both message types had a small impact on behaviour by reducing gambling consumption. Messages that specifically discuss money spent appear to have the greatest impact. Salient and effective warnings that interrupt continuous and excessive consumption can serve as the first line of defence in the prevention of harmful behaviours and impede consumers' movement towards addiction.

Examining the Effectiveness of Fear Appeals in Prompting Help-Seeking: The Case of At-Risk Gamblers

“…Theory advancement in the context of problem gambling is important because, just as with “common advertising,” people with social problems need to be aware of products and services that would benefit them (Calderwood & Wellington, ). Interest in the potentially harmful forms of consumption such as smoking, drinking, and gambling has begun to receive greater attention in recent years, especially among social marketing, public health, and public interest groups (Gainsbury, Aro, Ball, Christian, & Russell, ; Hendriks, van den Putte, & de Bruijn, ; Lewis et al., ; Sato, Drennan, & Lings, ). However, the use of emotionally stimulating message content designed to facilitate responsible gambling and/or prompt at‐risk gamblers to seek help has received limited academic attention (Harris, Parke, & Griffiths, ), despite the theoretical and empirical accounts highlighting the important role that emotion plays in the decision‐making process (Lerner, Li, Valdesolo, & Kassam, ).…”

Experiences of responsible gambling tools among non-problem gamblers: A survey of active customers of an online gambling platform

“…The authors of the Reno-model – a framework for the design and implementation of RG tools - warn of the potential harms that RG tools could cause to non-problem gamblers and encourage stakeholders to be aware of them ( Blaszczynski et al, 2004 ; Ladouceur, Blaszczynski, Shaffer, & Fong, 2016 ). Although not disturbing recreational gamblers by RG tools has been described as preferable by other researchers ( Auer, Littler, & Griffiths, 2015 ; Gainsbury, Aro, Ball, Tobar, & Russell, 2015 ; Monaghan, 2008 , Monaghan, 2009 ), there is little empirical evidence to suggest that RG tools do in fact inconvenience non-problem gamblers and make them more likely to abandon gambling services with extensive consumer protection programs.…”

“…The results of a survey of 10,838 online gamblers from 96 different countries suggest that implementation of RG tools can enhance consumers' favorable attitudes towards a gambling operator ( Gainsbury et al, 2013 ), which contradicts the notion of gamblers' being prone to abandon a gambling provider due to the presence of RG tools. Only a small fraction of gamblers in earlier studies indicated that they have been disturbed by RG tools ( Gainsbury et al, 2015 ; Monaghan, 2008 ; Monaghan & Blaszczynski, 2010 ) and little is known about the relationship between degree of gambling problems and attitudes towards RG. A study conducted with Swedish customers showed that the most common source of frustration was the need to restrict their gambling activity; this is an expected adverse effect of RG tools because gambling responsibly implies being able to set limits on one's gambling ( Griffiths, Wood, & Parke, 2009 ).…”

Behavioral Economics and Gambling: A New Paradigm for Approaching Harm-Minimization

“…Dynamic messages that break any dissociation and attract attention have been more effective when they ask gamblers "Do you need to take a break? ", as opposed to providing factual information about the low chances of winning with no suggested behavioural action (Gainsbury, Aro, Ball, Tobar, & Russell, 2015b). One of the most effective policy changes in terms of reducing gambling expenditure was the introduction of smoking bans that caused gamblers to take a break and leave the gambling venue to smoke, resulting in a reduction in gambling among smokers (Bradley & Becker, 2011;Garrett & Pakko, 2010;Pakko, 2008).…”