Direct gambling marketing, direct harm: A randomised experiment.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Economics
• Public Health Interventions
• Gambling Research

Background:

• Direct marketing is prevalent among individuals with active gambling accounts.
• Regulatory bodies are interested in the causal impact of gambling marketing on harm.
• Individuals can opt out of receiving direct marketing communications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if opting out of direct marketing reduces betting frequency.
• To determine if opting out decreases short-term gambling harms.
• To assess the real-world effectiveness of opting out in a gambling environment.

Main Methods:

• A 14-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) was employed.
• A stratified randomized field experiment with a between-participants design was conducted.
• Participants (n=227) were regular Australian sports and race bettors, stratified by gambling risk, age, and gender.

Main Results:

• The opt-out group placed 23% fewer bets compared to controls.
• Opting out led to a 39% reduction in gambling expenditure.
• Participants who opted out reported 67% fewer short-term gambling harms.

Conclusions:

• Opting out of direct marketing from wagering operators is associated with significant reductions in betting.
• This intervention demonstrates a statistically significant decrease in gambling expenditure.
• The study concludes that opting out effectively reduces short-term gambling harms.