Effects of Deposit Limits on Internet Sports Gambling Behavior
Author Information
Author(s): Anja Broda, Debi A LaPlante, Sarah E Nelson, Richard A LaBrie, Leslie B Bosworth, Howard J Shaffer
Primary Institution: Coordination Center for Clinical Trials Leipzig (KKSL), Germany
Hypothesis
Exceeding deposit limits would be associated with unfavorable gambling behavior, such as excessively large betting and high losses.
Conclusion
Internet gamblers who exceed deposit limits are willing to take high risks but surprisingly have a lower percentage of losses than others in the sample.
Supporting Evidence
- Only 0.3% of users exceeded deposit limits at least once.
- Gamblers who exceeded deposit limits had a higher average number of bets per active betting day.
- Users who exceeded limits had a lower percentage of losses compared to those who did not exceed limits.
- Exceeding deposit limits was a strong predictor of being in the most involved bettor subgroups.
Takeaway
Some online gamblers can set limits on how much money they can deposit, and those who exceed these limits tend to bet more but also lose more money.
Methodology
The study analyzed 2 years of gambling behavior records from 47000 subscribers to bwin, comparing those who exceeded deposit limits with those who did not.
Potential Biases
The study could not differentiate between types of deposit limits that led to notifications, which may affect the results.
Limitations
The procedures of limiting deposits and sending notifications were not in effect during the entire study period, which could bias the findings.
Participant Demographics
The cohort consisted of 92% men and 8% women, with a mean age of 30.3 years, and included participants from 84 countries.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI 5.08 – 12.42
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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