CQUniversity researchers suggest bet limit regulations should be reviewed
Study finds 41% of Australian gamblers had set a deposit limit but more opt-in prompts are needed
A new study conducted by experts at CQUniversity’s Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory (EGRL) has revealed that while some Australian gamblers are taking advantage of online betting limits, the majority of customers are not using the money-saving mechanism.
The project, which was funded by Gambling Research Australia (GRA), saw researchers survey over 3,000 regular race and sports bettors to ascertain how likely they were to select a bet limit option.
Of the participants interviewed, 41% said they had set a deposit limit, but more than half considered themselves unlikely to do so. Those who did set limits found them to be useful, with a quarter saying the intervention prevented them from overspending at least once a week.
Lead author and CQUniversity research professor Nerilee Hing said most operators presented a choice of limits to customers, with deposit restrictions being the most popular option, followed by an overall spend limit, a bet amount limit, a loss limit and, lastly, a limit on the total time spent gambling.
Speaking on the study’s findings, professor Hing said: “We looked at what type of person was more likely to set limits. Of those with serious gambling problems, 45.6% were setting at least one.”
“This is encouraging, however as this group benefits the most from opt-in limits, the fact more than half aren’t using them suggests we need to address why people are unwilling to limit their betting.”
To test whether an increase in prompts could improve uptake, professor Hing and her team then presented 1,200 participants with a series of tailored messages about bet limits in a randomised trial.
Measured over a four-week period, it was discovered that limit setting increased among participants, with 32% adopting at least one type of limit and those with a severe gambling problem even more likely to do so.
Based on the results, professor Hing and her team concluded that providing consistent prompt messages encouraged gamblers to self-reflect and created a better uptake in limits.