Behavioural Tracking and Profiling Studies Involving Objective Data Derived from Online Operators: A Review of the Evidence

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2024

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Delfabbro, P.
Parke, J.
Catania, M.

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Journal of Gambling Studies, 2024; 40(2):639-671

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Paul Delfabbro, Jonathan Parke, Maris Catania

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Abstract

Studies involving the analysis of objective data from online operators attempt to address common concerns about biases in self-report research. This paper surveys the progress in this area of research over the last 15 years. The findings highlight many areas of achievement, including: the development of a set of behavioural markers that reliably differentiate variations in gambler risk. Online gamblers can be grouped into clusters based on the intensity and frequency of gambling; behavioural variability; or, signs of over-commitment (e.g., deposit frequency or expenditure patterns). Behavioural indicators have also been successfully used to predict proxies of harm such as self-exclusion or account closures. However, relatively few studies have combined objective data with self-report data to achieve independent validation of the risk-status of gamblers. Evidence also supports the potential value of short-term responsible gambling interventions involving the use of voluntary and mandatory limits, messages and behavioural feedback. Less work has, on the other hand, addressed the comparative risk of different online gambling products. The findings suggest the need for further validation of findings against independent measures of gambling risk; consistent definitions of indicators; a greater focus on the differentiation of product risk; and, on the long-term impact of RG interventions.

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© The Author(s) 2023. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

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