Giuseppe Iraci-Sareri, Fabiano Pesticcio, Diego Fabiani, Evelina Marallo, Claudia Bianchi, Tiberio Favagrossa, Lucrezia Ballerini, Eleonora Topino, Alessio Gori
{"title":"New Technologies and Gambling Perception Among Italian Managers: A Qualitative Study.","authors":"Giuseppe Iraci-Sareri, Fabiano Pesticcio, Diego Fabiani, Evelina Marallo, Claudia Bianchi, Tiberio Favagrossa, Lucrezia Ballerini, Eleonora Topino, Alessio Gori","doi":"10.1007/s10899-025-10441-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-025-10441-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The spread of new technologies has profoundly transformed gambling practices, extending their reach into both private and professional domains. Understanding how managers perceive these phenomena is essential for designing effective preventive interventions in organizational contexts. This qualitative study explored the perceptions of 33 Italian managers regarding gambling, associated risks, and the role of personal devices. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Seven themes emerged, organized into three main areas: (1) perceptions of gambling, including differences in prevalence, motivations for gambling, and perceived changes linked to digitalization; (2) perceptions of risk, highlighting both protective factors (e.g., education, awareness, controlled environments) and major risks such as social and family deterioration, economic difficulties, and illegality; (3) use of personal devices, with managers describing blurred boundaries between work and private life, alienating aspects of constant connectivity, but also perceived benefits in terms of efficiency and reassurance. The findings show that managers' perceptions are marked by both awareness and misconceptions, which play a crucial role in shaping organizational responses. Preventive strategies should therefore be grounded in how the phenomenon is actually perceived in workplace contexts, to ensure greater acceptability and sustainability.</p>","PeriodicalId":48155,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Gambling Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145349155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Self-Labelling, Causal Attributions and Perceived Stigma in People Negatively Affected by Gambling.","authors":"Tyler McGinlay, Paul Delfabbro, Daniel King","doi":"10.1007/s10899-025-10433-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-025-10433-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examined self-labelling, stigma and causal attributions in a sample of 300 people who had currently, or previously experienced, substantial gambling-related problems. Specific aims were to compare people's use of more clinical labels with public health labels relating to gambling harm and to examine whether stigma was stronger in people who made more internal attributions and who adopted clinical labels. The results showed that people rarely adopted public health terminology relating to gambling harm either in self-description or when referring themselves to others. Clinical terms (addicted, problem, compulsive) were commonly endorsed as self-labels, but only 'addicted' was commonly used when referring to themselves to others. Stigma and clinical labelling were stronger when people had more severe gambling problems, but stigma did not independently predict clinical label use and was lower if people made more internal attributions (i.e., gambling caused by their own actions). The findings support the importance of individual preferences and the careful use of appropriate language in public contexts to reduce stigma, but question whether the current emphasis on harm-related labels and the preoccupation in some papers with some clinical labels for gambling disorder may be misplaced.</p>","PeriodicalId":48155,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Gambling Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145349165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hannah K Allen, Tonya Knight, Becky Hall, Melissa Dennis
{"title":"Links Between Gambling and Academic Performance Among Undergraduate College Students: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Hannah K Allen, Tonya Knight, Becky Hall, Melissa Dennis","doi":"10.1007/s10899-025-10440-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-025-10440-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gambling among young people is a growing public health concern, particularly as gambling becomes more accessible through changing policy and increased online gambling platforms. College students are a high-risk population for problem gambling, yet limited research has synthesized evidence on its academic implications. This scoping review examined the association between gambling behavior and academic performance among undergraduate college students in order to summarize findings, identify methodological patterns, and highlight gaps to inform future research. Eligible studies included peer-reviewed, empirical research that quantitatively assessed the relationship between gambling and academic performance (i.e., grades) among undergraduate college students worldwide. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The majority of studies found a negative association between gambling and academic performance in college, with both general gambling behavior and pathological gambling consistently linked to lower grade point average (GPA). There is a vital need for updated research in the context of a rapidly changing gambling landscape, as the majority of studies in this review were over ten years old. To address methodological limitations of existing research on the relationship between gambling and academic performance among college students, future research should prioritize longitudinal data collection, standardized measures of gambling behavior, and the use of rigorous statistical methods that account for potential covariates. Gambling may impair academic performance in college students, and additional research is needed to better understand this relationship and inform campus-based prevention, harm reduction, and treatment strategies to bolster student success.</p>","PeriodicalId":48155,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Gambling Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145349177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aidée Baranda Ortiz, Iraide Fernández Aragón, Jonatan García Rabadán
{"title":"Validation and Measurement of Attitudes Towards Gambling: The Case of the Basque Country.","authors":"Aidée Baranda Ortiz, Iraide Fernández Aragón, Jonatan García Rabadán","doi":"10.1007/s10899-025-10431-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-025-10431-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48155,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Gambling Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145349272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Margaret Anne Gunnigle, Brianna Morelli, Chance V Dow, Meredith K Ginley, James P Whelan, Rory A Pfund
{"title":"Are Casinos Responsive To Customers Accessing Information about Self-Exclusion?","authors":"Margaret Anne Gunnigle, Brianna Morelli, Chance V Dow, Meredith K Ginley, James P Whelan, Rory A Pfund","doi":"10.1007/s10899-025-10442-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-025-10442-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Self-exclusion is a promising intervention for reducing gambling behavior and gambling problems. Casino patrons have reported difficulties when requesting information or exercising the option to self-exclude. Employing an audit methodology, a pair of observational studies explored the accessibility of self-exclusion information from casinos within a mid-size metropolitan gambling market. In study 1, investigators telephoned casino customer service numbers and asked about self-exclusion. In study 2, trained research assistants visited those same casinos to ask multiple staff for self-exclusion information. In both studies, questions were asked about general information about self-exclusion, the physical and online materials on self-exclusion, and directions to the physical and online self-exclusion materials. Phone requests for self-exclusion information were found to be inconsistent and unreliable. Casino staff approached at casinos were generally unable to provide information about self-exclusion beyond references to the physical location of the materials in the casino. Across both studies, casino employees could not reliably provide information about self-exclusion over the phone or in person, revealing potential barriers for individuals who may be interested in pursuing self-exclusion.</p>","PeriodicalId":48155,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Gambling Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145349182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alyssa M Falise, Youngseo Cheon, Catalina Lopez-Quintero, Krishna Vaddiparti
{"title":"Unraveling the Impact of Early Adversity and Perpetration on Problematic Gambling in Young Adults: Insights from the Add Health Study.","authors":"Alyssa M Falise, Youngseo Cheon, Catalina Lopez-Quintero, Krishna Vaddiparti","doi":"10.1007/s10899-025-10439-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-025-10439-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigates the impact of childhood adversity on problematic gambling in early adulthood. Data from 16,760 young adults (24-32 years old) who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) were studied. Gambling behaviors were categorized as no gambling, non-problematic and problematic gambling based on self-reported responses. Multivariable logistic regression modeling examined whether childhood perpetration-related arrests and traumas (neglect, emotional, physical, sexual) predicted gambling behaviors after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Most young adults reported non-problematic gambling (n = 14,228, 85.5%), with 3.9% (n = 591) reporting problematic gambling. Problematic gambling was significantly more common in people who were Non-Hispanic Black (p < 0.01), male (p < 0.01), and who had past 30-day alcohol (p < 0.01), cigarette (p < 0.01), and marijuana use (p < 0.01). Of the nine trauma types examined, participants experienced an average of 0.9 types of childhood trauma, with problematic gambling experiencing significantly more types (mean: 1.2, SD: 0.1, p = 0.04). In comparison to those with non-problematic gambling, participants with problematic gambling had 2.4 increased odds of reporting their health was fair/poor rather than excellent/very good/good (95% CI: 1.4, 4.1), 1.8 increased odds of past 30-day cigarette use (95% CI: 1.2, 2.6), and 0.3 decreased odds of being female (95% CI: 0.2, 0.4). Childhood trauma and perpetration-related arrests were not significant predictors of problematic gambling in young adulthood. Young adults with problematic gambling reported a wider variety of childhood traumas, yet it did not predict future gambling behaviors. Rather, these findings suggest sex and smoking status may be associated with gambling behaviors.</p>","PeriodicalId":48155,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Gambling Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145281566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mandatory Third-Party Exclusion of Individuals with Gambling Problems in Germany: Data from the OASIS Player Exclusion System.","authors":"Gerhard Meyer","doi":"10.1007/s10899-025-10427-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-025-10427-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>While self-exclusion for individuals who gamble is widely recognized and implemented as an important consumer protection measure worldwide, third-party exclusion, initiated by relatives or gambling providers, is currently only available in a few countries. The aim of this article is to provide a timely descriptive evaluation of the exclusion registry in Germany, where third-party exclusion is mandatory by law, in relation to different types of gambling and the frequency of use by gambling providers. The relevant authority has provided data from licensed providers, broken down by self-exclusion and third-party exclusion. The majority of exclusion requests in 2024 (N = 303,876) were made through self-exclusion. Specifically, 96.8% of all exclusions were initiated by the players themselves, while only 3.2% resulted from third-party requests. The lowest proportions of third-party exclusions were observed in the sectors of gambling halls with German-style slot machines (0.7%), virtual slot machines (1.1%), and online poker (1.5%). The low proportion of third-party exclusions may be due to a conflict of interest, as gambling providers often generate significant revenue from individuals with gambling problems, making this group a lucrative target market. However, preliminary empirical evidence suggests that third-party exclusions have positive effects, showing comparable rates of abstinence and reduced gambling behavior to those who self-exclude. Mandatory third-party exclusions help minimize harm and represent a valuable addition to public health strategies. Nevertheless, further research is needed to expand the limited database, and the low use of third-party exclusions by providers calls for stronger regulatory oversight.</p>","PeriodicalId":48155,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Gambling Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145281579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Scaling Up the Evidence: What Open Banking Brings to Gambling Research and Policy.","authors":"Steven Murphy, Naomi Muggleton","doi":"10.1007/s10899-025-10438-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-025-10438-3","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48155,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Gambling Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145281546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kasra Ghaharian, Marta Soligo, Richard Young, Lukasz Golab, Shane W Kraus, Samantha Wells
{"title":"Can Large Language Models Address Problem Gambling? Expert Insights from Gambling Treatment Professionals.","authors":"Kasra Ghaharian, Marta Soligo, Richard Young, Lukasz Golab, Shane W Kraus, Samantha Wells","doi":"10.1007/s10899-025-10430-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10899-025-10430-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Large Language Models (LLMs) have transformed information retrieval for humans. People are increasingly turning to general-purpose LLM-based chatbots to find answers to questions across numerous domains, including advice on sensitive topics such as mental health and addiction. In this study, we present the first inquiry into how LLMs respond to prompts related to problem gambling, specifically exploring how experienced gambling treatment professionals interpret and reflect on these responses. We used the Problem Gambling Severity Index to develop nine prompts related to different aspects of gambling behavior. These prompts were submitted to two LLMs, GPT-4o (via ChatGPT) and Llama 3.1 405b (via Meta AI), and their responses were evaluated via an online survey distributed to human experts (experienced gambling treatment professionals). Twenty-three experts participated, representing over 17,000 hours of problem gambling treatment experience. They provided their own responses to the prompts and selected their preferred (blinded) LLM response, along with contextual feedback, which was used for qualitative analysis. Llama was slightly preferred over GPT, receiving more votes for 7 out of the 9 prompts. Thematic analysis revealed that experts identified strengths and weaknesses in LLM responses, highlighting issues such as encouragement of continued gambling, overly verbose messaging, and language that could be easily misconstrued. These findings offer a novel perspective by capturing how experienced gambling treatment professionals perceive LLM responses in the context of problem gambling, providing insights to inform future efforts to align these tools with appropriate guardrails and safety standards for use in gambling harm interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":48155,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Gambling Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145276374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Problematic Cryptocurrency Trading Among Traders in Türkiye: A Cross-Sectional Study of Prevalence and Associations with Anxiety, Depression, and Problem Gambling.","authors":"Melih Özbek, Gülşen Topal","doi":"10.1007/s10899-025-10429-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-025-10429-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cryptocurrency trading is becoming increasingly popular in Türkiye. Problematic cryptocurrency trading (PCT) is considered a public health issue due to its potential psychological and behavioral consequences. This study examined the prevalence of PCT among Turkish investors and its associations with mental health and related risk factors. In this cross-sectional study, 596 male Turkish participants aged between 20 and 63 years (mean = 33.6) were recruited using a purposive online sampling strategy via cryptocurrency-focused social media groups. Participants who actively owned cryptocurrency were assessed using the Problematic Cryptocurrency Trading Scale (PCTS), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS). The analysis revealed a PCT prevalence of 26.3%, with significant associations identified between PCT and anxiety, depression, problem gambling, and frequent trading behavior. Logistic regression analysis revealed that problem gambling is the most significant risk factor for the development of problematic cryptocurrency trading (PCT), followed by daily trading activity. Additionally, severe anxiety and marital status were identified as important risk factors. This study highlights the public health significance of PCT and underscores the need for preventive interventions. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating PCT screening into mental health and gambling disorder programs in Türkiye.</p>","PeriodicalId":48155,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Gambling Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145200589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}