Correlates of Gambling Behaviours Among Day Traders: Evidence from a National Study.

Although research examining the relationship between participation in financial speculation (e.g., purchasing penny stocks, shorting stocks, cryptocurrency trading, and day trading) is sparse, findings consistently indicate that engaging in speculative activities is associated with problematic gambling behaviour. For the present study, gamblers across Canada who had or had not also engaged in day trading were surveyed. A total of n = 467 day traders and n = 9,558 non-day traders were compared in terms of their sociodemographic backgrounds, gambling habits, primary gambling motives, and endorsement of gambling fallacies. Male gender, racial/ethnic minority status, higher educational attainment and income, not working or studying full- or part-time, participation in a larger number of gambling activities, and lower endorsement of coping motives were associated with day trading involvement. Furthermore, lower income, participation in a larger number of gambling activities, greater endorsement of gambling fallacies, and not showing a preference for either skill- or chance-based games predicted moderate-risk-to-problem gambling behaviour among day traders. This research provides insight into factors that may underlie day traders' susceptibility to experiencing gambling problems.

Predictors of problem gambling remission in adults: A Canadian longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: Remission from problem gambling (PG) continues to be a priority of clinicians and researchers. Data from cross-sectional studies indicate that some correlates are more predictive of PG, and existing longitudinal studies have exclusively examined risk factors that predict emergence of PG. This study's objective is to fill in the remaining pieces of the puzzle by identifying factors that might facilitate remission from PG. METHOD: A stratified sample of 10,199 Canadian adult gamblers were recruited from an online panel. Respondents who screened positively for PG at baseline and completed a follow-up assessment 1 year later (n = 468) were assessed on a series of modifiable gambling, psychosocial, mental health, and substance use variables. A forward stepwise logistic regression was conducted to identify the strongest predictors of remission from PG at follow-up. A Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator regression was also conducted to confirm the most relevant predictors. RESULTS: Out of 75 candidate variables, 10 were retained by the regression model. Two were related to cessation of specific gambling activities, two were related to gambling motivations, two were psychosocial in nature, two were related to substance use while gambling, and one was related to remission from a mental health disorder. The final and strongest predictor was PG severity at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Although PG remission predictors were mostly gambling-related, psychosocial aspects may also be targeted by stakeholders aiming to reduce PG. Ceasing to use tobacco while gambling and diversifying leisure activities may be promising targets. Other mental health and substance use predictors may still possibly be relevant, but only for a subset of people with PG. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Etiology of problem gambling in Canada.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a large-scale national cohort study to identify the current etiological risk factors for problem gambling in Canada. METHOD: A cohort of 10,119 Canadian gamblers completed a comprehensive self-administered online questionnaire in 2018 and were reassessed in 2019. At baseline, the sample contained 1,388 at-risk gamblers, 1,346 problem gamblers, and 2,710 with a major DSM-5 mental health disorder. A total of 108 independent variables (IVs) were available for analysis, as well as the self-report of perceived causes of gambling-related problems for 1,261 individuals. RESULTS: The strongest multivariate predictors of current and future problem gambling were "gambling-related" variables (i.e., current and past problem gambling, intensive gambling involvement, playing electronic gambling machines (EGMs), gambling fallacies, socializing with other people having gambling-related problems, and family history of having gambling-related problems). Beyond gambling-related variables, greater impulsivity and lower household income were robustly predictive. Thirteen additional variables were either concurrently or prospectively predictive, but not both. In contrast to the many different quantitative predictors, self-reported causes tended to be singular and psychologically oriented (i.e., desire to win money, boredom, stress, poor self-control). CONCLUSIONS: The predictors of problematic gambling in the present study are very similar to the predictors identified in prior international longitudinal and cross-sectional research. This implies core cross-cultural risk factors, with gambling-related variables and impulsivity being most important, and comorbidities and demographic variables having more modest contributions. The additional value of the present results is that they comprehensively identify the relative importance of all known etiologically relevant variables within a current Canadian context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Cognitive Factors that Predict Gambling Fallacy Endorsement.

Gambling fallacies are a collection of error-stricken beliefs about gambling and how gambling works. Gambling fallacies, while common in the general public, appear to increase as a function of gambling severity. This being the case, many interventions have focused on reducing gambling fallacies as a means of treating problem-gambling. Less research, however, has investigated what factors contributes to gambling fallacy susceptibility in the first place. Available studies have identified associations between gambling fallacy susceptibility and isolated individual differences in, for example, statistical reasoning/understanding, intelligence, or cognitive ability. The current study aimed to assess these cognitive factors in conjunction, and their relative predictive potential for gambling fallacy susceptibility. In an Australian university student sample (n = 90) it was found that there were moderate to strong association between gambling fallacy endorsement and general intelligence, probabilistic reasoning ability, rational cognitive style and the ability to suppress intuitive thought, however, only probabilistic reasoning, rational cognitive style and the ability to suppress intuitive thinking contributed to the prediction of fallacy endorsement. Importantly, each of these factors are malleable. Interventions for the correction of gambling-specific fallacious beliefs should focus on these factors.

Problem gambling severity, gambling behavior, substance use, and mental health in gamblers who do and do not use cannabis: Evidence from a Canadian national sample.

INTRODUCTION: Cannabis use frequently co-occurs with gambling, and evidence indicates that both acute and chronic cannabis use may influence gambling behavior. The primary aim of the present study was to further contribute to the literature on this relationship by examining data collected from a Canadian national study of gambling. METHODS: Respondents consisted of 10,054 Canadian gamblers recruited from Leger Opinion's (LEO) online panel. In this study, gamblers who used cannabis were compared with non-users across a number of gambling as well as demographic and mental health variables. RESULTS: Of the total sample, 25.4 % reported past 12-month cannabis use. Among the 2,553 cannabis-users, 21.3 % reported daily use, and 69.9 % reported using once a month or more. A total of 56.2 % indicated they had used cannabis while gambling in the past 12 months. Bivariate analysis found significant differences between cannabis use and non-use on numerous demographic, mental health, and gambling-related variables. Individuals with greater problem gambling severity scores, more hours gambling, and a larger range of gambling activities were more likely to endorse using cannabis. Hierarchical logistic regression revealed that tobacco use, and having experienced significant child abuse were predictors of cannabis use. Non-use of cannabis was associated with older age, less engagement in online gambling, and being less likely to consume alcohol. CONCLUSION: The present findings both corroborate previous studies and expand upon the relationship between cannabis and gambling.

Harm Minimization Training, Knowledge, and Behaviour of Canadian Casino Employees.

Casino employees regularly interact with problem and at-risk gamblers and thus have considerable potential to both prevent and reduce gambling-related harm. While harm minimization (HM) and responsible gambling (RG) are routinely espoused by the casino industry, the actual level of employee HM/RG training, knowledge, and behaviour is unknown. The present study investigated this issue in the Canadian context by examining employee surveys collected by the RG Check accreditation program (8,262 surveys from 78 Canadian casinos/racinos collected between 2011 and 2020). These surveys revealed that almost all casino employees receive HM/RG training, but the amount of training tends to be quite limited (one hour) except for supervisors, managers, and security personnel. Basic HM/RG knowledge among all employees appears adequate, although their understanding of probability is incomplete. The most important consideration is whether this training and knowledge translates into meaningful HM/RG behaviour towards patrons. The large majority of employees (83.1%) report engaging in at least one HM/RG interaction with a patron at some point during the course of their employment (median length of 4 to 9 years), with security personnel reporting the highest rates. However, the frequency, nature, and impact of these interactions is unknown.

Making Change: Attempts to Reduce or Stop Gambling in a General Population Sample of People Who Gamble.

Objective: This study examined past year attempts to reduce or quit gambling among people who gamble generally and those with gambling problems specifically. Methods: Regular gamblers recruited from an online panel (N = 10,054) completed a survey of gambling, mental health and substance use comorbidity and attempts to reduce or quit gambling. The sample was weighted to match the gambling and demographic profile for the same subsample (i.e., past month gamblers) in a recent Canadian national survey. Results: 5.7% reported that they tried to cutback or stop gambling in the past year. As predicted, individuals making a change attempt had greater levels of problem gambling severity and were more likely to have a gambling problem. Of individuals with problem gambling, 59.8% made a change attempt. Of those, 90.2% indicated that they did this primarily on their own, and 7.7% accessed formal or informal treatment. Most people attempting self- change indicated that this was a personal preference (55%) but about a third reported feeling too ashamed to seek help. Over a third (31%) reported that their attempt was successful. Of the small group of people accessing treatment, 39% described it as helpful. Conclusions: Whereas gambling treatment-seeking rates are low, rates of self-change attempts are high. The public health challenge is to promote self-change efforts among people beginning to experience gambling problems, facilitate success at self-change by providing accessible support for use of successful strategies, and provide seamless bridges to a range of other treatments when desired or required.

Gambling in Canada During the COVID Lockdown: Prospective National Survey.

The current study investigated the impact of the COVID pandemic lockdown on gambling and problem gambling in Canada. The AGRI National Project's online panel participants (N = 3449) provided baseline gambling data 6 months prior to the pandemic. Re-surveying this sample during the lockdown provided an opportunity to make quantitative comparisons of the changes. Nearly one-third of gamblers reported ceasing gambling altogether during the lockdown. For the continuing gamblers, quantitative data indicated significant decreases in gambling frequency, time spent in gambling sessions, money spent, and the number of game types played. Qualitative perceptions of changes in gambling were examined and the accuracy of these reports were not closely aligned with actual changes in gambling. Gambling platform was the only gambling engagement metric where increases were found with ~ 17% of the gambling sample migrating to online gambling during the lockdown. Although problem gambling within the sample generally declined, consistent with previous literature, it was also found that gambling online-among other biopsychosocial factors-was a significant predictor for classification as a problem gambler during the lockdown. COVID-specific influences on health, employment, leisure time and social isolation were moderately associated with problem gambling scores but were not independent predictors of changes in gambling engagement during lockdown. Future studies are required to assess if the pandemic related changes in gambling evidenced in this study remain stable, or if engagement reverts to pre-pandemic levels when the pandemic response allows for the re-opening of land-based gambling venues.

Responsible Gambling in Canada: An Analysis of the RG Check Patron Surveys.

This study analyzed the Responsible Gambling Check patron survey data from Canadian casinos and racinos collected from 2011-2019 (18,580 patrons and 75 venues). The results indicated increasing awareness and use over time of harm minimization tools among more frequent patrons. Despite these promising trends, it is concerning that a substantial percentage of gamblers are still unaware of the harm minimization tools available. Further, the actual impact of this awareness on responsible gambling behaviour is largely unknown. We suggest greater efforts are needed nation-wide to promote the awareness, utilization, and evaluation of these harm minimization tools.

Leveraging virtual reality to train certified nursing assistants as essential dementia-care personnel in the age of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has placed an extraordinary and disproportionate level of responsibility and risk on certified nursing assistants (CNAs) caring for persons with dementia (PWD) relative to their training, resources, and compensation levels. Nearly one-quarter of COVID-19 deaths in the United States have been nursing home residents and staff. Despite providing the majority of direct care, CNAs are amongst the most under-resourced and under-trained frontline workers. Given their essentiality, it is critical to support CNAs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this work is to provide CNAs with a space to strengthen their knowledge and confidence in caring for PWD. This pilot study applies a virtual reality (VR) curriculum to train CNAs regarding the lived experiences of PWD and their loved ones. The VR vignette portrays a Latinx woman, Beatriz, through progressive stages of Alzheimer's disease. METHOD: Chicago Methodist Senior Services (CMSS) CNAs were recruited (N=7; 86% female, 86% Black) for a seven-week online training program consisting of 1.5 hours per week. Each class included a didactic lecture and an Embodied Labs VR module depicting a first-person experience of dementia through a distributive model approach. The program concluded with two recorded focus groups. Participants completed the UCLA Geriatric Attitudes Scale, a dementia knowledge assessment, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index surveys, and a COVID-19 Impact questionnaire. Current analyses include qualitative content analysis for focus group data and descriptive, quantitative statistics for pre-and post-VR intervention surveys. RESULT: Preliminary results demonstrate that CNAs endorsed a positive change in attitudes toward older adults (p=0.069), a deepened understanding of dementia, and increased confidence in caregiving skills. Focus groups allowed CNAs to discuss changes in resident behavior and support one another through a virtual platform during a global pandemic. CONCLUSION: Combining traditional didactic lectures with VR-based curricula provided CNAs with foundational knowledge and first-hand experience of dementia pathology. Participants reported greater levels of insight and empathy for PWD. Future aims include expansion of training content to include end-of-life conversations, LGBTQIA aging, and Lewy body dementia.