Altered hierarchical organization between empathy and gambling networks in disordered gamblers.

Background: Despite the demonstrated association between empathy and gambling at the behavioral level, limited neuroimaging research on empathy and gambling disorder (GD) has been conducted. Whether and how the brain network of empathy and that of gambling interact in disordered gamblers has not been investigated. This study aimed to address this research gap by examining the hierarchical organizational patterns, in which the differences of causal interactions of these networks between disordered gamblers and healthy controls were revealed. Methods: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of 32 disordered gamblers and 56 healthy controls were included in the formal analysis. Dynamic causal modeling was used to examine the effective connectivity within and between empathy and gambling networks among all participants. Results: All participants showed significant effective connectivity within and between empathy and gambling networks. However, compared with healthy controls, disordered gamblers displayed more excitatory effective connectivity within the gambling network, the tendency to display more excitatory effective connectivity from the empathy network to the gambling network, and reduced inhibitory effective connectivity from the gambling network to the empathy network. Conclusion: The exploratory study was the first to examine the effective connectivity within and between empathy and gambling networks among disordered gamblers and healthy controls. These results provided insights into the causal relationship between empathy and gambling from the neuroscientific perspective and further confirmed that disordered gamblers show altered effective connectivity within and between these two brain networks, which may be considered to be a potential neural index for GD identification. In addition, the altered interactions between empathy and gambling networks may also indicate the potential targets for the neuro-stimulation intervention approach (e.g., transcranial magnetic stimulation).

Segmenting Chinese Gamblers Based on Gambling Forms: A Latent Class Analysis.

Segmentation of gamblers is useful for understanding their distinctive characteristics and enforcing customized measures in harm minimization work. Previous research has commonly adopted gambling motivation and involvement as segmentation criteria. However, these criteria are less identifiable through observation. Gambling forms, used in recent gambling segmentation research, are more observable, facilitating the prevention and treatment work of governments and practitioners, as the identified segments have distinctive gambling disorder symptoms. As gambling is widespread in the Chinese population and little is known about this ethnic group in terms of gambling form segments, latent class analysis was used to classify 855 Chinese gamblers in Macau based on their participation in 11 gambling forms in the previous 12 months. The analysis identified three distinct segments: casino gamblers, lottery gamblers, and sociable gamblers. Socio-demographic differences between the three segments were revealed. Casino gamblers, compared with their counterparts, were more likely to have DSM-V symptoms, particularly escape and bailouts. Lottery gamblers and sociable gamblers only differed in one symptom, the latter having a higher probability of chasing their losses. Based on these results, Macau policymakers are advised to prioritize their harm minimization measures such as requiring casinos to provide training to workers to help to identify gambling disorder symptoms and that workers should intervene when the symptoms of escape and bailouts were identified from the gamblers. Special attention should be given to Macau casino gamblers who are male, unemployed, or with highest education of high school diploma.

Gambling Research and Industry Funding.

This paper discusses the relationship between investigative credibility and the sources of funding associated with gambling research. Some researchers argue against accepting funding from gambling industry sources; similarly, they decline to participate in activities directly or indirectly sponsored by gambling industry sources. In contrast, these anti-industry investigators evidence less resistance toward accepting funds from sources other than industry, for example, governments, because they believe that they have greater independence, reliability, and validity, and less undue influence and/or interference. We organize this article, around six primary issues: (1) researchers making a priori judgments that restrict positions towards industry associated research; (2) the potential negative impacts of holding such a position; (3) a description of the different sources of funding available to support gambling-related research; (4) an examination of the extant empirical support associated with the sources of funding and whether such support evidences bias; (5) a description of six cases illustrating how refusing to participate in any project funded by the industry can adversely influence the advancement of science and, at times, be itself unethical; and finally, (6) we suggest some remedies to advance solutions to this problem by stimulating the participation of reluctant researchers to work towards a greater harmony, keeping in mind that the pivotal goal of our work is to increase our knowledge in different area of science and to harness it to public goods.

Responsible gambling: general principles and minimal requirements.

Many international jurisdictions have introduced responsible gambling programs. These programs intend to minimize negative consequences of excessive gambling, but vary considerably in their aims, focus, and content. Many responsible gambling programs lack a conceptual framework and, in the absence of empirical data, their components are based only on general considerations and impressions. This paper outlines the consensus viewpoint of an international group of researchers suggesting fundamental responsible gambling principles, roles of key stakeholders, and minimal requirements that stakeholders can use to frame and inform responsible gambling programs across jurisdictions. Such a framework does not purport to offer value statements regarding the legal status of gambling or its expansion. Rather, it proposes gambling-related initiatives aimed at government, industry, and individuals to promote responsible gambling and consumer protection. This paper argues that there is a set of basic principles and minimal requirements that should form the basis for every responsible gambling program.