Mediating Role of Impulsivity in the Contributory Roles of Upward Versus Downward Counterfactual Thinking in Youth Gambling Intention

For Better and For Worse: Frequent Gamblers Use Dual Counterfactuals to Justify Continued Gambling

How might frequent gamblers convince themselves to keep playing despite persistent losses or after a win that should be savored? The purpose of this research is to examine the unexplored question of how frequent gamblers' use counterfactual thinking to motivate their desire to continue gambling. Using a sample of n = 69 high and n = 69 low frequency gamblers in a field setting, we found that infrequent gamblers tended to consider how the perceived outcome of losing "could have been better" (i.e., upward counterfactual thinking), and how a winning outcome "could have been worse" (i.e., downward counterfactual thinking). This pattern of counterfactual thinking is considered typical in many settings and may, in a gambling context, support a potentially more responsible approach by helping infrequent gamblers to learn from past mistakes to avoid significant future losses and to savor wins to protect returns gained. Alternatively, we found that frequent gamblers were more likely to generate 'dual counterfactuals' which include both upward and downward counterfactuals in response to losses and wins. We argue that this dual pattern of counterfactual thinking may allow frequent gamblers to more easily justify their desire to continue gambling. Findings suggest that challenging gamblers counterfactual thinking patterns could assist clinicians in moderating the potential for high-risk behaviors.

Near-Misses Predict Youth Gambling Intention via Illusion of Control

We examined the moderating role of an illusion of control (IOC) in the differential contributions of forms of near-miss (NM) in youths intent to gamble in Nigeria (n = 60, mean age = 18.05, SD = 3.81) using a randomized group design. Data were obtained by means of the gambling episode stimulus material that varied NM into early-miss, late-miss, near-win and near-loss groups, and self-report measures of IOC and gambling intention. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) result showed that NM groups differed significantly on gambling intention. HAYES PROCESS macro moderation analysis results of NM categories as dummy variables showed that early miss had a non-significant negative effect on gambling intention, late miss had a significant positive effect on gambling intention, near win had a significant positive effect on gambling intention, IOC had a negative effect on gambling intention, and negatively moderated the effect of early win on gambling.

Gambling in Sub-Saharan Africa: Traditional Forms and Emerging Technologies

Purpose of Review

The gambling industry in Africa has seen substantial growth and evolution over recent years with a growing body of literature describing these shifts. Here, we provide a narrative synthesis of the extant literature on the origins, trends and consequences of the expansion and intensification of the commercial gambling industry in sub-Saharan Africa with a reference for future research on gambling as a growing public health concern.

Recent Findings

The historical shift and permeation of gambling in sub-Saharan Africa is diverse with evidence of certain countries following a neo-colonial logic. Advances in technology have made gambling more accessible and created new markets in Africa. A key motive driving gambling on the continent is a lack of stable employment. While the intensification and growth of Africa’s gambling industry has brought economic benefits to some African investors and individuals, this has been accompanied by a range of gambling harms. Legislation and policies designed to better regulate the gambling industry and redress these harms are needed. In this context, a small number of services and campaigns designed to mitigate gambling harms demonstrate promise, but more research is needed in this area.

Summary

The gambling industry in sub-Saharan Africa has undergone a dramatic transformation. While it is true that the growth of the African gambling industry has provided an additional revenue stream to governments, it is also necessary to acknowledge the concurrent rise in gambling addiction and the health-related and social harms that it elicits. As such, designing effective regulatory measures and policy interventions that can reduce the public health burden of gambling harms is vital. However, these interventions need to take in to account the significance of cultural differences that exist among countries on the continent.