Gambling on mobile devices has become a popular activity in many parts of the world, and it may have significant consequences for individual well-being and the society at large. It is a form of gambling that does not require the user to physically visit a casino or gaming venue, and can be carried out anywhere where there is an internet connection and a mobile phone. This technology has many advantages over traditional forms of gambling, including convenience and portability. It is also increasingly accessible to individuals with limited resources, as many people can afford to pay for a data plan that allows them to use the internet on their mobile phones.
However, while the popularity of mobile gambling has led to numerous studies investigating its consequences, little empirical research has examined how people actually behave when they gamble on their mobile phones. This article begins to address this gap, by using a laboratory-based mobile gambling experiment to examine the behaviour of participants who used a simulated betting app on their smartphone. The results indicate that, in general, participants did not adjust their behaviour to the new app, and gambled on it as they would have on any other platform. Moreover, they were highly likely to continue gambling even after their losses reached a predetermined level, suggesting that the new technology did not lead them to change their behaviours.
Furthermore, the data suggest that mobile gambling has some important psychological features that differ from other forms of gambling. These differences may be relevant to understanding and limiting the harmful effects of this emerging technology. First, mobile gambling involves short, interspersed bouts of interaction that have been compared to snacking. This type of interaction, combined with the associative basis of mobile gambling, may speed up the acquisition of maladaptive learned behaviours, such as problem gambling.
Second, mobile gambling is available at the touch of a button. This ease of access is a known risk factor for disordered gambling, as it reduces the barriers to entry and increases the accessibility of gambling. Similar to the common advice that you are more likely to eat a cupcake when it is on the counter than when it is in the cupboard, sports wagering apps put a casino in the pocket of users, making them more likely to engage in problem gambling.
Third, mobile gambling is a complex ecosystem, and it is difficult to regulate the availability of apps in this environment. Unlike traditional online casinos, mobile casinos are not restricted to a single app store, but can be downloaded from a range of third-party distribution sites. The ability to control the availability of gambling apps by limiting their distribution via these channels is an area for future research. Currently, the regulatory landscape for mobile gambling in Canada is very fragmented, with provincial regulators and authorities having different interpretations of who can provide online gaming activities. The Canadian Criminal Code defines who is considered to be a gambling operator, but each province has its own rules and regulations regarding how to register.