The Study on the Motivational Traits in Online Gambling: Focusing on the Problematic Online Gambling Experiences

This study aims to identify the motivational traits in online gambling in South Korea. To achieve this goal, 10 participants who had experienced problematic gambling in South Korea were selected, and the data were collected through 1 on 1 interview. The collected data were analyzed with deducted content analysis proposed by Elo and Kyngäs(2008). A categorization matrix was constructed based on the prior studies on the motivational traits in online gambling, and the matrix was utilized during the analysis. As result, 8 categories including 'accessibility,' 'convenience,' digitalization (unreality),' 'anonymity,' 'diversity,' 'attraction strategies,' 'management strategies,' and 'unrestrictedness' and 19 traits in online gambling in South Korea were discovered. Since there had been rare attempts to identify the motivational factors in online gambling in South Korea, this study demonstrated the new approach to separate online and offline gambling. Also, this study reflected the unique traits of Korea where most gambling behaviors are illegal. Finally, this study proposed several practical and political implications to regulate online gambling and recover from problematic online gambling.