Mobile gambling is a fast-growing sector of the iGaming industry. With smartphones and tablet computers becoming more affordable, players can easily access a wide variety of casino games, sports bets and other types of gambling through their devices. These devices can also allow them to claim casino bonuses. However, there are certain factors that should be considered before downloading a gambling app to your smartphone.
While the prevalence of mobile gambling is increasing, its relationship with problematic behaviour is relatively unknown. Research on the potential for mobile gambling addiction has largely relied on self-report data, with few empirical studies of gambling behaviour using a real-world, behavioural paradigm. In addition, most studies have used simulated gambling apps and tracked participants over long periods of time, whereas in reality, people use apps to gamble on an intermittent basis for short periods of time.
Nevertheless, the proliferation of mobile gambling offers a unique opportunity to study patterns of behavior in a real-world context. This study uses a simulated gambling app to investigate the effects of different levels of reinforcement and different stimuli on the persistence of gambling behaviour in phases of acquisition and extinction. Participants were asked to gamble on the app at random intervals and for a specified number of days, while contextual information about the app use was collected from their smartphones. Results indicate that mobile gambling is persistent, with the frequency of bets being proportional to the magnitude of reinforcement and the length of breaks between gambling sessions being associated with the amount of money won. In particular, higher winnings were associated with greater perseverance and a lower propensity to stop gambling.
This study is a step towards establishing the relationship between mobile gambling and problem gambling, but further research is needed to determine whether these findings extend to other environments. For example, betting companies often offer free bets to encourage new customers and mobile games with stamina systems may encourage users to continue playing for longer periods of time. Furthermore, the emergence of mobile gambling apps that integrate social media features and other functions has the potential to create a more socially immersive experience, which may contribute to a potentially more harmful pattern of behaviour than the traditional online casino.
Although the availability of mobile gambling is growing, there are still many barriers that prevent many people from seeking help for gambling problems. According to Ashley Owen, a team leader at the NYC Problem Gambling Resource Center, it’s important for people to take problem gambling seriously because it can lead to other issues such as substance abuse and financial difficulties. Furthermore, many people with gambling problems do not exhibit physical symptoms like those of a person suffering from a substance addiction. This makes it difficult to detect and address these issues. In addition, those with gambling disorders do not seek help as frequently as other people with psychological problems. For this reason, it is critical to make it easy for people to seek help.