Online gambling (including casinos, games of chance, sports betting, poker and fantasy sports) is a billion-dollar industry. It can be fun and exciting for many people, but can lead to devastating gambling-related problems for others. The American Psychiatric Association has included problem gambling in the category of mental health disorders, alongside alcohol and drug addictions.
Despite the widespread availability of online gambling, it remains relatively understudied. Research has focused on identifying risk factors and investigating the impact of gambling on individuals and society. Few studies have investigated the effects of changes to online gambling and how these may affect problem gamblers.
To address this knowledge gap, a qualitative study was conducted with a small sample of non-treatment-seeking Internet users. The participants were interviewed about their experiences of changes to the availability and accessibility of online gambling. Results were analysed to identify themes and subthemes. The findings suggest that the emergence of new gambling opportunities has the potential to alter the ways that people gamble, including their motivations and incentives for gambling, how they access and use their accounts, and whether they engage in harm minimisation features. The changes have also impacted on how people perceive the risks associated with gambling and how these are addressed by their online gambling behaviours.
The main theme identified by participants was the increasing ‘industrialisation’ of online gambling, with increased competition between operators and the proliferation of digitalisation of betting products and services. This has led to the development of an online gambling ‘ecosystem’ characterised by the presence of multinational gambling operators, mass-media supported sports and races and extensive gambling sponsorship and advertising [1, 18]. These developments have reduced barriers to entry for new online gamblers and allowed them to engage in gambling at their convenience from home, while commuting or during social activities.
A second major theme was the impact of changes to the speed and ease with which bettors could deposit, withdraw and transfer money to and from their betting account. This facilitated rapid and often repeated bets on the same event, and enabled gamblers to quickly double or even triple their money. It also accelerated the rate at which they could place bets, especially when using automated betting software or ‘bots’.
The third theme identified was the effect of increased gambling advertising and marketing, which was perceived as increasing both the availability and attractiveness of online gambling. This was accompanied by an increase in the number of promotions and bonus offers for gamblers. These were often targeted at high-stakes gamblers and aimed to maximise profits. Finally, increased internet access and the rapid digitisation of gambling products have facilitated instant and immediate access to online gambling for many users, particularly with smartphones. However, this accessibility is not without cost. Some participants reported that heightened accessibility lowered the sense of responsibility for their gambling activity, which can contribute to harmful patterns of behaviour. Moreover, the removal of physical barriers to online gambling has made it harder for people to monitor their spending and to limit their exposure to the financial risks.