Category: Gaming Affects

Gaming Affects

Alcohol Use During Gambling: Affects Gaming Behavior? Part-1

Three years ago, Norwegian researchers, in collaboration with the English behavioral psychologist Mark Griffith, looked at the influence of alcohol use during gambling. Griffith specializes in behavioral addictions and has previously researched the role of alcohol in gambling games. The researchers therefore looked at the difference in gaming behavior at gambling establishments that serve alcohol and locations that do not.

In the report they first tell extensively about conclusions and findings from other reports. And they describe different situations in it before looking at alcohol consumption. These findings reveal nuances that we have not yet encountered in other studies.

Small And Large Gambling Locations

The subject of the research is therefore the difference in gambling behavior between players who drink alcohol at locations and players who do not. But we found the sub-topics in the study particularly interesting. For example, the scientists not only compared the two types of locations; they also looked at subtle and / or significant other differences that could affect gamblers’ gaming behavior.

Shortly before, for example, a Canadian team conducted a similar study. She found that players in smaller locations play several times a month, bet higher amounts of money and play for money more often. By small locations we mean locations that have up to 10 EGMs (Electronic Gaming Machine). Larger arcades contain more than 335 EGMs.

Partly because of this, the chance of problem gambling was greater at small gambling locations . Players who play at large gambling venues spent more time in a location, preferred to play undisturbed, and were more motivated to gamble for pleasure.

Alcohol While Gambling

The same Canadian researchers also looked at alcohol consumption while gambling. They saw that in small locations, players wanted to think of gambling as a social event. Those players were more likely to use alcohol and drink more than the players who play in large playing locations.

At large and small locations, they mainly made a difference between the number of slot machines and slot machines. However, the locations themselves also differed. They were casinos, arcades, gambling shops, bingo halls, clubs and pubs. Mark Griffith had already noted that each location in itself influences gambling behavior.

The Location

Griffith, as well as other researchers , already looked extensively at locations. Besides the difference that we can think of ourselves, a casino is clearly different from playing in a cafe or at home via the computer, there are other differences. Griffith mentioned other location characteristics related to popularity and choice of location. Examples of those characteristics are security , reliable payment and atmosphere.

Elements of atmosphere are lighting, temperature and acoustics. For example, also the layout of a room, seating comfort and height of the ceilings. A special feature is hospitality. And of course there is also the possibility of (free) serving of alcohol.

Measuring Is Knowing

If you are interested in the differences and influence of locations, it turns out that you should especially read recent studies. After all, in recent years a few things have changed in the characteristics we mentioned above.

Moreover, the influence of alcohol during gambling has not been studied before. Incidentally, hardly any attention has been paid to the influence of specific characteristics on gambling behavior; for example lighting or ceiling height. It hardly seems meaningful data. But research in that direction fits in a time when marketers and project developers want to know and measure everything.

Gaming Affects

Alcohol Use During Gambling: Affects Gaming Behavior? Part-2

Multix, Video Games

Back to the research into alcohol during gambling Or actually locations where alcohol is served and locations where that does not happen. The researchers used a specific gambling game, the Norwegian Multix. Multix is ​​a fully digitized, multigame, network based video gaming terminal.

The advantage for the researchers at Multix is ​​that every terminal has the same games in a closed system. And players must create an account in order to play. All terminals are therefore interconnected and individual gambling behavior can be followed per terminal. The Multix software also ensures that certain restrictions imposed by the government are automatically implemented.

Locations

Norway does not officially have casinos. Multix has been placed in all kinds of other locations. You can’t come up with it that badly or there may be one or more Multix terminals. For example petrol stations, cafes, bowling alleys, hotels, snack bars, station kiosks, restaurants and much more.

They are large and small locations, but also locations where alcohol is or is not possible during gambling. Shortly after the placement of Multix, there were already more than 45,000 registered players. And as said, their gaming behavior can be monitored. For the study, Norsk-Tipping , the Norwegian gambling authority, entered into a separate contract with participants and anonymized their personal data with a code.

Conclusion About Alcohol While Gambling

The researchers themselves are not yet able to reach a convincing conclusion. During the period of the study, it appeared that players played more often and spent more money at a location without alcohol. According to the researchers, this could be because the locations with alcohol are visited less often and / or on special occasions ( eg restaurants ).

Locations with alcohol (eg a café) are also visited for other reasons, for example for social contact with friends and neighbors. A cautious conclusion is that more risks are taken when gambling with alcohol consumption. It was those gamblers who lost the most money .