Behavioural Tracking and Profiling Studies Involving Objective Data Derived from Online Operators: A Review of the...

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Online Gambling Research
• Responsible Gambling

Background:

• Self-report biases in gambling research are a concern.
• Objective data analysis offers a more reliable approach.
• This paper reviews 15 years of progress in this field.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey advancements in using objective data to assess online gambler risk.
• To identify achievements and limitations in the field.
• To suggest future research directions for responsible gambling.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of objective data from online gambling operators.
• Development and application of behavioral markers.
• Clustering gamblers based on gambling intensity, frequency, and commitment indicators.

Main Results:

• Behavioral markers reliably differentiate gambler risk levels.
• Gamblers can be clustered by gambling intensity, variability, and over-commitment.
• Objective data successfully predicts harm proxies like self-exclusion.
• Short-term responsible gambling interventions show potential effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• Objective data analysis has advanced online gambler risk assessment.
• Further validation against independent measures and consistent indicator definitions are crucial.
• More research is needed on differentiating product-specific risks and long-term intervention impacts.