Whenever a new gambling study is published, you can guess that it will be about problem gambling and its effects on players. A recent study by researchers at the UK’s Nottingham Trent University is a departure from this usual focus, as it takes a look at ‘positive players’ and their methods for gambling responsibly. The study is the first of its kind, focusing on leisurely gamblers as opposed to problem gamblers.

It looks at their responsible gambling strategies and how they are able to enjoy gambling on a regular basis without developing compulsive habits. Dr Mark Griffiths and his research team at Nottingham Trent University wanted to get a good idea of what ‘positive play’ looks like in the gambling market.

The team has recognized that the negative reputation of gambling creates a ‘forbidden fruit’ effect for players and may make the activity more attractive. By focusing on responsible gambling and ‘positive play’, the researchers believe that their findings will appeal to players who are likely to ignore public service announcements that tell them how not to gamble.

“Positive players take personal responsibility for their pastime by using various strategies to ensure that they only gamble what they can afford to spend,” says Dr Griffiths. The study involved an online study, which was completed by 1,484 leisure gamblers and 209 problem gamblers.

It identified the strategies of leisure gamblers, the most common of which is to predetermine their time and money limits to ensure that they do spend more than they can afford on gambling. The study also found that leisure players engaged in a number of activities aside from gambling. Playing casino games and pokies are not their only source of fun and exciting, which certainly helps players keep a level head when gambling.

Another interesting finding is that the vast majority of responsible players prefer to gambling online. 93% of respondents expressed their preference for playing at online casinos and poker sites.

These findings beg responsible gambling advocates to reconsider their assumptions that online gambling is more harmful than land-based gambling. To view the full study, visit: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10899-014-9489-7.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.