Reducing gambling harm through digital self-help intervention: a pilot study in mild to moderate gambling disorder

Gambling Disorder (GD) is associated with significant personal and social harms, yet most individuals, especially those with mild to moderate symptoms, do not seek treatment. Online interventions offer an accessible and resource-efficient approach, but their cultural fit and feasibility across contexts remain unclear. This study examined the feasibility, engagement, and perceived cultural compatibility of a brief (1-week) Canadian self-directed gambling intervention among Israeli individuals with mild and moderate GD who were not actively seeking treatment.

A sample of 102 participants (age range 19-74, 83.3% men) were recruited via a social networks campaign; 92 eligible participants were randomly assigned to either an interactive website online gambling intervention or to a static information-based control condition, with each condition including 1 week of participation. GD was assessed using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) for screening and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID) for diagnostic classification. Participants completed daily self-report measures of interest, enjoyment, perceived benefit, and overall evaluation over seven days. Forty-five participants also participated in focus groups exploring user experience, engagement factors, and cultural relevance.

Quantitative analyses showed that participants with mild GD in the website condition reported increasing levels of interest, perceived benefit, and task evaluation over time (ps < 0.01), while enjoyment remained stable. Participants with moderate GD in the control condition showed decreasing engagement across these variables (ps < 0.001). Thematic analysis revealed that engagement was supported by practical tools, privacy, accessibility, and perceived cultural fit, with participants emphasizing the value of autonomy and confidentiality in addressing gambling behavior.

Findings indicate that a brief self-directed online intervention is feasible and engaging for individuals with mild GD and shows high perceived acceptability and cultural compatibility among Israeli users. These results provide preliminary support for the cross-cultural scalability of evidence-based digital harm reduction tools and identify areas for future localization and long-term evaluation.