Research: Word the Warning to End Unnecessary Losses
In reality, the approach to warning gamblers can assist with repetitive gambling, a new study pointed out in the peer-reviewed journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviours Dr Philip Newall, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory at CQUniversity in Sydney, Australia, based on a survey of 2,000 UK participants, found that if warning signals indicate possible losses rather than winnings, gamblers would be more careful about their spending.
Strong Wording Spin
In the gaming business, it is standard practice to use alert signals for a optimistic twist on the wording, such as outlining the estimated payoff in percentage rather than emphasizing the amount a gambling machine maintains. As well as using the psychological impact of the greater number, such an optimistic spin, the "return-to-player" strategy produces false hopes, argues Dr Newall based on his research findings.
The wording of the warning signs affects gamblers in their interpretation of the probability of winning, and Dr Newall, who currently lives in Australia, advises state-based gaming authorities to enforce warning mark contents criteria.
“Across the group, only 40 per cent of those surveyed correctly understood the mathematical meaning of the return-to-player message, compared to 66 per cent understanding the house-edge message”.
Dr Philip Newall, Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory, CQUniversity
The warning where the average sum a gambling machine holds, the "house-edge" strategy, should become a normal prerequisite if the country wants to fix the problem of skyrocketing post-coronavirus pokies spending after the reopenings in August, Dr Newell outlined.
Efficient House-Edge And Volatility Labels
The interpretation of return-to-market communications has been further strengthened by an additional clarification of volatility that the predictive average is long-term dependent and does not materialize in a brief period of gaming, which has an effect on player trust, the analysis has also pointed out.
Dr Newall acknowledged the results of the UK-based survey analysis were close to smaller Australian reports, as well as a recent Federal Court of Australia decision that return-to-player details on poker machines was misleading to gamblers, triggering a review of the labeling criteria in Victoria, the only state that currently allows pokie warning signs.
“The findings illustrate what everyone already knew, that the current warning labels are confusing, possibly deliberately confusing, the way they present the glass as half-full – or even 90 per cent full!”
Dr Philip Newall, Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory, CQUniversity
While the majority of the states must have back-to-player information in written form upon request, none of the states, including Victoria, use the house-edge strategy to mark the machines, and Dr Newall claims a nationwide step toward the house-edge message will help prevent a significant proportion of unnecessary gamblers.
According to the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR), for 2018-19 Victorian residents spent a whopping AU$2.7 billion at the pokies, up AU$3.4 million from the prior year. According to Australian Gambling Statistics for 2017-18, the overall loss is AU$12.5 billion a year, while £1.8 billion is almost 4 times smaller in the UK.
Australians are the worst in the world when it comes to gambling defeats and things won't improve until the industry demonstrates fairness, concluded Dr Newall, who used to be a skilled gambler and poker player before transitioning to gambling research.
