High risks and harms from electronic gaming machines persist among Victorian players

A new study examining the attitudes and behaviors of customers and staff at electronic gaming machines (EGMs) in Victoria, Australia, reveals high rates of problem gambling risk.

The study was published by the Victorian State Governmentand this involved an on-site survey of 352 EGM customers from 12 Victorian gaming venues, as well as an online survey of gaming hall staff, which attracted 92 respondents from across the state.

This is the third wave of the Electronic Gaming Machine Environment Study, which took place between May and June 2024.

Speaking on the findings, the State Government shared what the study found: “Consistent with the first 2 waves, the current study identified high rates of problem gambling risk and harm among people who gamble at EGM venues; one in 6 respondents met the criteria for problem gambling as measured by the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), two thirds had some level of problem gambling risk and half had experienced gambling-related harm during of the last 12 months.”

Victorian Government reveals results of study into electronic gaming machines

Site staff reported high levels of confidence in identifying and responding to harm, but this was not generally reflected in their behavior. Although staff reported a greater frequency of harmful interactions with customers than in previous studies, these actions were still relatively rare.

Customer survey results indicate no change in their experience of staff behavior over time.

In the published abstract, it is stated that the study provides additional evidence supporting behavioral indicators of suffer gambling-related harmsuch as spending more than $200 per session, betting $3 or more per spin, and making multiple cash withdrawals. However, it was found that a large number of staff did not appear to view these behaviors as potentially risky.

Along the same lines, it is felt that there is a need for ongoing education and communication activities for staff and customers, as well as exploring additional support for site staff to be able to identify potentially unsafe behaviors.

Featured Image: AI-generated via Ideogram

The position High risks and harms from electronic gaming machines persist among Victorian players appeared first on ReadWrite.

Source link