Gambling data and modalities of interaction for responsible online gambling: A qualitative study

Online gambling, as opposed to land-based gambling and other mediums of problematic and addictive behaviour such as alcohol and tobacco consumption, offers unprecedented opportunities for monitoring and understanding users’ behaviour in real-time. It also provides the ability to adapt persuasive messages and interactions that would fit the gamblers usage and personal context. These features open a new avenue for research on the monitoring and interactive utilization of gambling behavioural data. In this paper, we explore the range of data and modalities of interaction which can facilitate richer interactive persuasive interventions, and offer additional support to limit setting, with the ultimate aim of aiding gamblers, who gamble at low to moderate levels, to stay in control of their gambling experience. The exploration is based on our previous research on online addiction and interviews with experts (n_e = 13) from different relevant multidisciplinary backgrounds and different points of view. We also interviewed gamblers (n_g = 6) about their perception of the utilization of their data for aiding more conscious gambling. Directed at multiple stakeholders, including the gambling software providers, compliance and responsible gambling personnel, as well as policymakers, this paper aims to provide a basis and a reference point for empowering future responsible gambling socio-technical tools through the capture and utilization of relevant online gambling behavioural data.