'Odds Are: They Win': a disruptive messaging innovation for challenging harmful products and practices of the gambling industry

Never tell me the odds: Typical return-to-player information increases gamblers' perceived chances of winning

Previous research has shown that gamblers consistently misunderstand return-to-player (RTP) information, and participants shown an RTP of 93% reported that they were more likely to win than those who were shown no information. However, this effect might have been inflated by a higher-than-average RTP percentage. We experimentally test the impact of showing an industry-average RTP message of 90% on gamblers' perceived chances of winning, in two studies across two countries (UK and US). Slot players from Prolific (N = 6062) were shown either an RTP message ("This game has an average percentage payout of 90%"), two different House Edge (HE) messages ("This game keeps 10% of all money bet" or "This game is programmed to cost you 10% of your stake on each bet") or No-Information, and asked to rate their perceived chances of winning at a new slot machine. Across both studies and countries, participants rated their perceived chances of winning as significantly higher with a typical 90% RTP message than with No Information, with large effect sizes (ORs > 5). Both HE messages significantly outperformed RTP, but were no better than No-Information. These effects were moderated by PGSI in the No-Information condition, with participants with higher PGSI responding with higher chances of winning, but not in the other conditions. These results show an undesired side-effect of the consistently ineffective RTP information and confirm the superiority of HE over RTP, although none of the messages were superior to No-Information. Gamblers deserve to be better informed.

The effect of a brief intervention video on gambling advertising resistance: Results of a randomized, on-line experimental study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Gambling advertising is nowadays prevalent in multiple jurisdictions and can take multiple forms, such as TV adverts and social media promotions. However, few independently designed interventions for gambling advertising have been empirically tested. We aimed to measure the effectiveness of an inoculative intervention video for gambling advertising, which was developed based on previous interventions for alcohol and tobacco, and which used input from academics and experts by experience.

DESIGN

Between-participants randomised online experiment.

SETTING

UK.

PARTICIPANTS

UK-based gamblers aged 18-29 years (n = 1200) were recruited via Prolific.

INTERVENTION

Participants either saw a novel inoculative intervention video (7.2 mins) aimed at increasing resistance against gambling advertising strategies (n = 595) or a neutral control video (7.2 mins) on healthy eating (n = 605).

MEASUREMENTS

Participants completed pre- and post-test measures of gambling advertising scepticism and persuasion knowledge immediately before and after video exposure. They also answered the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and reported their past-month engagement with gambling promotional offers. A random subset of participants (n = 797) recompleted these measures at one-month follow-up.

FINDINGS

The intervention group's post-test scores were statistically significantly higher than control for scepticism [estimated marginal means (EMM) = 40.32 vs. EMM = 34.72; P < 0.001, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.90-6.29, ηp2 = 0.17] and persuasion knowledge (EMM = 20.77 vs. EMM = 16.71; P < 0.001, 95%CI = 3.61-4.50, ηp2 = 0.21). One-month follow-up scores also remained statistically significantly higher in the intervention group compared with control for both scepticism (EMM = 38.26 vs. EMM = 34.73; P < 0.001, 95%CI = 2.70-4.36, ηp2 = 0.08) and persuasion knowledge (EMM = 18.63 vs. EMM = 17.21; P < 0.001, 95%CI = 0.88-1.95, ηp2 = 0.03). Within the intervention group, 21% of participants had stopped engaging with gambling promotional offers at one-month follow-up, reflective of a statistically significant reduction compared with control (EMM = 0.48 vs. EMM = 0.87; P < 0.001, 95%CI = -0.53 to -0.26, ηp2 = 0.04). Overall, the control group showed no statistically significant changes in any of their scores throughout the study period.

CONCLUSIONS

An inoculative intervention video appears to increase young gamblers' resistance to gambling advertising and reduce their self-reported engagement with promotional offers.

The feasibility and acceptability of an inoculative intervention video for gambling advertising: a focus group study of academics and experts-by-experience

BACKGROUND

Gambling advertising employs a range of persuasive strategies. We therefore aimed to evaluate a counter-advertising intervention video to increase resilience to gambling advertising persuasion.

METHODS

Three in-depth focus groups were conducted, and each group contained a mixture of gambling-related academics (N = 12) and experts with lived experience of gambling-related harm (N = 10). Participants were given access to the intervention video and provided feedback during the focus groups. Qualitative data were audio recorded and thematically analysed by the research team.

RESULTS

Three main themes were identified. First, participants recommended a shorter video that had a simplified and digestible structure. Second, frequent real-world examples of gambling advertisements within the video were discouraged, and the inclusion of a relatable human voiceover was considered imperative to the receptiveness of the video. Finally, participants deemed it important to deliver psychologically grounded yet jargon-free content via a conversational style. An overall narrative framed by consumer-protection was also preferred in order to increase acceptance of the video content, rather than a more didactic framing.

CONCLUSIONS

Evaluating the acceptability of a counter advertising intervention video provided valuable insight from both an academic and lived-experience perspective. Such insight is instrumental to the meaningful co-design of counter-advertising interventions.

Galvanising social innovation in gambling harms reduction: a process evaluation of a multi-component Community of Practice

BACKGROUND

Communities of Practice (CoPs) are increasingly used in health and non-health sectors globally. Evidence suggests that CoPs can support health promotion activities, but the research mainly encompasses formal, professional contexts: the role and contribution of CoPs in community-centred health promotion has not been explored. This paper presents a process evaluation of a CoP that aimed to facilitate social innovation among voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations. Hosted by a city-region government in England, VCFSE organisations were invited to join a CoP to enable the development and implementation of their ideas for addressing gambling harms.

METHODS

The process evaluation sought to develop mid-level programme theory for the use of CoPs in community-centred health promotion. Data collection consisted of 33 qualitative interviews with stakeholders, as well as project reporting. Data were organised using a framework approach which supported the construction of themes and a complex intervention model. The research team reflected on these to develop the programme theory.

RESULTS

The CoP facilitated the development of community-centred interventions for addressing gambling harms through a two-track process: first, a community of VCFSE staff was formed, whose understanding of gambling harms was nurtured through discussions led by people with Lived Experience; second, the CoP contributed to project development via collaboration, knowledge sharing and an integrated referral pathway, although project-level benefits were uneven. Learning was generated in community engagement, training, education, support and social campaigns.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings confirm the combined effectiveness of a CoP, varied VCFSE projects and people with Lived Experience to co-create an evolving knowledge-base for a city-region government's gambling harms reduction strategy. CoPs may therefore complement partnership working in community settings, although additional training support may be required in comparison with CoPs involving health professionals. The city-region government's approach could be replicated in other emerging public health areas.

Involving lived experience in regional efforts to address gambling-related harms: going beyond 'window dressing' and 'tick box exercises'

BACKGROUND

Lived Experience (LE) involvement has been shown to improve interventions across diverse sectors. Yet LE contributions to public health approaches to address gambling-related harms remain underexplored, despite notable detrimental health and social outcomes linked to gambling. This paper analyses the potential of LE involvement in public health strategy to address gambling-related harms. It focuses on the example of a UK city-region gambling harms reduction intervention that presented multiple opportunities for LE input.

METHODS

Three focus groups and 33 semi-structured interviews were conducted to hear from people with and without LE who were involved in the gambling harms reduction intervention, or who had previous experience of LE-informed efforts for addressing gambling-related harms. People without LE provided reflections on the value and contributions of others' LE to their work. Data analysis combined the Framework Method with themes developed inductively (from people's accounts) and deductively (from the literature, including grey literature).

RESULTS

Four themes were identified: (1) personal journeys to LE involvement; (2) the value added by LE to interventions for addressing gambling-related harms; (3) emotional impacts on people with LE; and (4) collective LE and diverse lived experiences. Two figures outlining LE involvement specific to gambling harms reduction in the UK, where public health efforts aimed at addressing gambling-related harms coexist with industry-funded programmes, are proposed.

CONCLUSIONS

Integrating a range of LE perspectives in a public health approach to gambling harms reduction requires local access to involvement for people with LE via diverse routes that are free from stigma and present people with LE with options in how they can engage and be heard in decision-making, and how they operate in relation to industry influence. Involving LE in gambling harms reduction requires enabling people to develop the affective and critical skills necessary to navigate complex emotional journeys and a challenging commercial and policy environment.