sally gainsbury and keith whyte. the next horizon: social casino games and responsible gaming
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Sally Gainsbury and Keith Whyte. The Next Horizon: Social Casino Games and Responsible Gaming Session 8A Presented at the New Horizons in Responsible Gambling Conference in Vancouver, January 27-29, 2014TRANSCRIPT
The Next Horizon:
Social casino games & gambling
Sally Gainsbury Centre for Gambling Education and Research, Southern Cross University
New Horizons in Responsible Gambling Conference
January 29, 2014
Background
Two studies commissioned by Gambling Research Australia
Interactive gambling in Australia (2010-2013) Prof. Nerilee Hing, Dr. Sally Gainsbury, Prof. Alex Blaszczynski, Dr. Robert Wood, Prof. Daniel Lubman, Alex Russell
The use of social media in gambling (2013-2015) Dr. Sally Gainsbury, Prof. Nerilee Hing , Prof. Paul Delfabbro, Dr. Daniel King, Prof. Alex Blaszczynski, Alex Russell, Prof. Jeffrey Derevensky
Why do we need research?
Aims of research
Identify & understand emerging trends
Enable proactive responses to minimise harms
Requires cooperative stakeholder engagement
Why social casino games?
Gambling and gaming should be fun
But some people have problems
Problem gambling is influenced by:
• Early exposure
• Attitudes
• Irrational beliefs
Social casino games may play a role in problems
Social casino games may be helpful
Technology has changed the entertainment industry
1.0 2.0 3.0
Movies
Technology has changed the entertainment industry
1.0 2.0 3.0
Games
Gambling has stayed mostly the same, but access has changed
1.0 2.0 3.0
Gambling
The prevalence of gambling themes
Gambling themes in entertainment are not new,
but the access of social casino games is unprecedented
An easy step to online gambling?
Social casino games
Social casino games:
• Predominately gambling-themed
• Online through web or mobile (app)
• Connected to social media platform
Variety of social casino games Often closely resemble online gambling
All forms – not just traditional ‘casino’
Social casino games encourage connectivity
Social casino games are free to play, no real prizes
But have their own currency
Social casino games are not gambling 1. No payment required – consideration
2. No monetary rewards – prize
3. Outcomes may not be randomly determined – chance
Pick the gambling site
Social casino games are growing 180 million active monthly social casino gamers
Simulated gambling: Rated T for teens
Entertainment Software Ratings Board
666 games including gambling content rated suitable for teen or below
- 327 suitable for everyone
December 2013
Entertainment Software Ratings Board
666 games including gambling content rated suitable for teen or below
- 327 suitable for everyone
December 2013
Social casino games: Some concerns
• Inflated payouts may misrepresent gambling
• Games may increase positive impression and desire to gamble
• May not be clearly distinguished as games
• Operators may attempt to convert players to gambling
Industry self-regulation
Social casino games: Some potential?
• Games could teach responsible gambling
• Games could reduce desire to gamble
• Games could help people avoid gambling
Social casino gamers also gamble
Survey of 1,103 US social casino game players
• 68% interested in gambling
• 67% would gamble online
• 36% visited casinos SuperData, 2013
Youth surveys show correlation between playing gambling-themed games, gambling, and gambling problems
?
Will gamers gamble?
Approximately 2% of social casino gamers pay to play
“the psychographic needs that social gaming provides versus real-money gaming are completely different.”
Paul Thelen, CEO Big Fish Games
Do gamblers also use social games?
Investigation of social casino games amongst gamblers
Sally Gainsburya,b, Nerilee Hinga, Alex Russella,b, Alex Blaszczynskia,b, Rob Wood D, Dan Lubmanc aCentre for Gambling Education and Research, Southern Cross University b School of Psychology, University of Sydney c Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, Eastern Health and Monash University D Department of Sociology, University of Lethbridge
This study was commissioned by Gambling Research Australia – a
partnership between the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments
The findings presented here are preliminary and not final
Investigation of social casino games amongst gamblers
Nationally representative telephone survey (N=15,006)
2,010 adult gamblers
Nov-Dec 2011, Australia
Aim: To investigate the use of social casino games in a sample of Internet and land-based gamblers
Which gamblers play social casino games?
13% had played social casino games
Social casino gamers more likely to be:
- born in Australia
- younger
0 10 20 30 40
18-19
25-29
35-39
45-49
55-59
65 or older
%
Non-social casinogamers
Social casino gamers
How do social casino gamers gamble? Social casino gamers more likely to:
• gamble online (25% vs. 5%)
• Gamble on all forms (except lottery)
• Gamble on the same activities they play as games
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Keno
Poker
Casino table games
Bingo
Instant scratch tickets
Horse or dog race wagering
Sports betting
Gaming machines
%
% of social gamers who also gamble on the same activity
Which social casino games do gamblers play?
0 20 40 60 80 100
Instant scratch tickets
Sports betting
Horse or dog race…
Bingo
Keno
Poker
Casino table games
Gaming machines
Female
Male
• Poker
• Slots
• Casino
Do social casino gamers have gambling problems?
Problem Gambling Severity Index (N = 1,768)
0 50 100
Non-problemgamblers
Low risk gamblers
Moderate riskgamblers
Problem gamblers
Social casinogamers
Non-social casinogamers
Is social casino game play related to gambling?
• Gender game preferences similar
• Substantial overlap between preferred gambling & social casino game activities
• Social casino gamers more similar to Internet gamblers
• Social casino gamers more involved gamblers & more likely to experience problems
But no causal inferences can be drawn
Further understanding of gamblers & gamers needed
Why play for free when I can win real
money?
Why pay when I can
play for free?
Impact of social casino games on problems may vary
Why play for free when I can win real
money?
Why pay when I can
play for free?
Conclusions
• Some gamblers also play social casino games (mostly Internet gamblers)
• Convergence between social casino games & gambling likely to continue
• Regulatory interest will continue – self-regulation preferred pathway
• Problem gamblers may use social casino games in helpful & unhelpful ways: – Clinicians need to understand
– Operators need to implement consumer protection measures
– Regulators need to understand impacts
Acknowledgments
Collaborators: Nerilee Hing, Alex Russell, Alex Blaszczynski, Dan Lubman, Robert Wood
Research commissioned by Gambling Research Australia
The views expressed in this presentation are solely those of
the author. The information, views and references material in this presentation are provided solely on the basis that the audience will be responsible for making their own assessment of the information provided
Further details
Gainsbury, S, Russell, A., & Hing, N. (In Press). When the chips are free: An investigation of social casino gaming among gamblers. Computers in Human Behavior. Accepted Jan 14, 2014
Gainsbury, S., Hing, N., Delfabbro, P., King, D. (2014). A taxonomy of gambling and casino games via social media and online technologies. Submitted manuscript.
The full Interactive Gambling in Australia research report will be released by GRA in 2014
Thank you, questions?
Dr Sally Gainsbury Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Gambling Education & Research,
Southern Cross University
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://works.bepress.com/sally_gainsbury/
@DrSalGainsbury