Alex Blaszczynski

Background: In 1990, the United States’ Institute of Medicine promoted the principles of outcomes monitoring in the alcohol and other drugs treatment field to improve the evidence synthesis and quality of research. While various national outcome measures have been developed and employed, no global consensus on standard measurement has been agreed f...

How might frequent gamblers convince themselves to keep playing despite persistent losses or after a win that should be savored? The purpose of this research is to examine the unexplored question of how frequent gamblers’ use counterfactual thinking to motivate their desire to continue gambling. Using a sample of n = 69 high and n = 69 low frequenc...

Confronted with criticisms focused on the nature of Responsible Gambling (RG), this article suggests that Positive Play (PP) is a conceptual subset of Responsible Gambling and not a fully developed and independent harm prevention or reduction framework. To advance public health initiatives and focus public policy. This article reviews and clarifies...

Despite its widespread use, the concept of “responsible gambling” lacks a clear definition. Consequently, debate and confusion surround the respective government, regulator, industry operator, individual, and community accountability as these stakeholders attempt to develop strategies, policies, and procedures that will protect consumers by minimiz...

There is a dearth of research on gamblers’ experiences toward the end of a self-exclusion period when significant decisions are required as to renew or discontinue agreements. An exploratory study was conducted to (1) understand user perspectives of processes involved at the termination of their self-exclusion agreement and (2) identify factors dif...

Gambling self-exclusion programs are under-utilised and barriers to entry include shame and embarrassment with face-to-face registration, and complex and effortful procedures. The current study aimed to facilitate self-exclusion from gambling venues via an online self-directed website. A co-design approach was used to elicit key stakeholders' persp...

Background and Aims The Pathways Model is a highly-cited etiological model of problem gambling. In the past two decades, a number of studies have found support for the model's utility in classifying gambling subtypes. The aims of this paper were to refine empirically the model subtypes and to revise and update the model based on those findings. De...

Several therapy modalities have been developed for gambling disorder (GD), and the cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most promising approaches. The objective of this study was to explore the impact of patients’ adherence to guidelines concerning money control on the effectiveness and outcomes of a CBT program. Sample included n = 998...

A change in someone’s financial situation, such as a windfall gain or increased financial stress, can affect the way that they gamble. The aim of this paper was to explore the relationship between financial well-being and changes in gambling behaviour during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) shutdown. Australian past-year gamblers (N = 764; 85% male)...

BACKGROUND Gambling self-exclusion programs are under-utilised and barriers to entry include shame and embarrassment with face-to-face registration, and complex and effortful procedures. OBJECTIVE The current study aimed to facilitate self-exclusion from gambling venues via an online self-directed website. METHODS A participatory co-design approa...

The use of non-probability Internet panels and crowdsource websites is increasing in gambling research. These paid online sampling methods offer a convenient and inexpensive recruitment strategy. The quality of data may be questionable due to careless responding and identity misrepresentation which can bias study results. It is necessary to investi...

Objective: Crowdsourcing is an increasingly popular source of participants in studies of problem gambling. Studies with crowdsourced samples have reported prevalence rates of problem gambling between 10 and 50 times higher than traditional sources of estimates. These elevated rates may be due to study framing motivating self-selection. In this pre...

Background and aims Following the recognition of ‘internet gaming disorder’ (IGD) as a condition requiring further study by the DSM‐5, ‘gaming disorder’ (GD) was officially included as a diagnostic entity by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD‐11). However, the proposed d...

Introduction Research indicates that body image disturbance is associated with poorer psychosocial outcomes for individuals with physical health conditions, with poorest body image reported for individuals with visible bodily changes. Using White’s (2000) theoretical model of body image the present paper aimed to examine the nature of these relatio...

Internet gambling provides a unique environment with design mechanics and data-driven opportunities that can impact gambling-related harms. Some elements of Internet gambling including isolation, lack of interruption, and constant, easy access have been argued to pose specific risks. However, identifiable player accounts enable identification of be...

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic reduced access to gambling and contributed to widespread psychological distress. Psychological distress is a known risk factor for problem gambling as it can motivate excessive gambling as a coping response. The availability of gambling is considered a factor in maintaining problems. This paper aimed to investigat...

Unfortunately, the original publication contains errors. The authors would like to correct the errors.

Objective: Crowdsourcing is an increasingly popular source of participants in studies of problem gambling. Studies with crowdsourced samples have reported prevalence rates of problem gambling between 10 to 50 times higher than traditional sources of estimates. These elevated rates may be due to study framing motivating self-selection. In this prere...

Internationally, Internet gambling is increasingly permitted under regulated licensing conditions; however, the specific products that are legal varies between jurisdictions. Online sports and race wagering are now legal in many jurisdictions, but in-play betting (also referred to as “live action” or “in-the-run” betting) is often restricted. In-pl...

Background and aims: Harmful gambling has been associated with the endorsement of fallacious cognitions that promote excessive consumption. These types of beliefs stem from intuitively derived assumptions about gambling that are fostered by fast-thinking and a lack of objective, critical thought. The current paper details an experiment designed to...

Gambling has been associated with an array of fallacious beliefs that foster risky gambling decisions. Research into other belief systems suggests that the endorsement of non-evidence based beliefs, such as the paranormal or conspiracy theories, can be reduced when people think more analytically. The purpose of this study was to explore whether an...

Problem gambling is often accompanied by a range of irrational cognitions that promote excessive gambling. The cognitive basis for these beliefs has been largely overlooked in the gambling literature. Dual process theory suggests there are two parallel cognitive processing systems, an intuitive and an analytic system, and that there are potential i...

Objective: Recovery from Gambling Disorder lacks established operational criteria and a dedicated outcome measure. Cross-study comparisons and treatment efficacy determinants are difficult without a valid and widely used tool to assess recovery. The current article describes the development and psychometric evaluation of the Recovery Index for Gamb...

New variants of electronic gaming machines (EGMs) are being developed that incorporate gaming elements. Policies to govern the use of skill gaming machines (SGMs) must be predicated on evidence of their impact, which is currently lacking. Focus groups (N = 21) were conducted with university students, regular EGM players, and community members who p...

Introduction Gaming Disorder is a new category in the ICD-11 despite mixed evidence supporting its validity. In order to determine if this is a distinct and separate category of addiction, it is necessary to demonstrate a link between the inherent properties of video games, and problematic symptoms. The current study aimed to evaluate this link by...

Multiple jurisdictions legislate responsible gambling staff training for providers of land-based gambling products or include it within the industry codes of conduct. Current training programs appear to focus on basic compliance with regulatory requirements. Although programs contain problem gambling information, staff are required to respond only...

The addictive potential of electronic gaming machines (EGMs) is currently explained within a cognitive-behavioural framework. This framework explains that various erroneous cognitions regarding players’ likelihood of winning contribute to persistent EGM gambling behaviour. Related to these cognitions is the pervasive misunderstanding among players...

Background: There is no consensus on how to best define recovery in gambling disorder. This minimizes clinicians’ abilities to apply optimal treatment goals and contributes to inconsistency in the use of outcome variables to evaluate interventions. Current understanding of recovery is largely based on professional opinion and theoretical models of...

Internet gambling has been widely legalised in recognition of its capacity to, and the importance of, providing consumer protection tools to prevent and minimise gambling-related harms. Most licensed Internet gambling sites are required to provide consumer protection tools, including activity statements, deposit limits, and time-outs (temporary sel...

Staff training in responsible gambling forms an integral component of industry measures designed to respond to and minimize gambling-related harms. Research suggests that venue staff members have the capacity to identify behavioral indicators of problem gambling among patrons, but often are reluctant or fail to respond to patrons unless directly ap...

This comment corrects erroneous and misleading statements about gambling control and public health. In addition, it avoids tilting at windmills. This comment focuses on four primary issues: (1) the politics of public health initiatives, (2) gambling as a determinant of adverse health, (3) the nature and prevalence of gambling addiction, and (4) the...

Gambling disorder is classified in the DSM-5 as a behavioral addiction. However, the inclusion of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms as diagnostic criteria for the disorder remains poorly understood and characterized by a lack of empirical support. While the need for increasing excitement is considered central to the concept of tolerance in gambling...

Impairments in response inhibition have been implicated in gambling psychopathol-ogy. This behavioral impairment may suggest that the neural mechanisms involved in response inhibition, such as GABA A-mediated neurotransmission in the primary motor cortex (M1), are also impaired. The present study obtained paired-pulse trans-cranial magnetic stimula...

Some critics of the Reno model appear to have misinterpreted its fundamental tenets by expressing the belief that the model is incompatible with the public health model. Both the public health and Reno models attempt to influence policies and strategies designed to promote responsible gambling and the reduction of gambling-related harms. In this ar...

Background: Gambling disorder is related to high overall gambling engagement; however specific activities and modalities are thought to have stronger relationships with gambling problems. This study aimed to isolate the relationship between specific gambling activities and modalities (Internet and venue/land-based) to gambling disorder and general...

Background and aims: Gambling education programs typically focus on promoting gambling as a high-risk activity with harmful effects; however, these programs demonstrate limited effects on the prevention of gambling problems. This paper proposes a clear theoretical framework to inform the content and delivery of gambling education initiatives and d...

Background and aims: Despite there exist many benefits of technological advancements, problematic use of emerging technologies may lead to consumers experiencing harms. Substantial problems and behavioral addictions, such as gambling and gaming disorders, are recognized to be related to Internet-based technologies, including the myriad of new devi...

A recent systematic review of the responsible gambling research suggests that there are no significant differences between gambling industry and non-industry funded research with regard to research design and outcomes. This study empirically synthesizes the outcomes of a larger sample of the scientific gambling literature to determine the generaliz...

Robert Ladouceur and Alex Blaszczynski convened this working group and established the early agenda and direction for the International Group on Responsible Gambling and our scholarly publications. The Reno Model provided the seminal architecture for understanding, creating, and implementing responsible gambling activities and programs. This model...

Background: Large scale gambling research has traditionally used screening instruments such as the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) to determine prevalence rates and inform policy. Implicit within this approach is the assumption that scores on screening instruments are a proxy for the presence and severity of harms associated with gambling. M...

This volume reflects the perspectives of a diverse group of primary stakeholders interested in responsible gambling activities and programs. It also marks a watershed moment in the activities of the International Group on Responsible Gambling. The Reno Model, introduced by Blaszczynski, Ladouceur, and Shaffer in 2004, has provided the seminal archi...

Consumer protection tools such as activity statements, deposit limits, and temporary self-exclusion are provided by most Internet gambling websites to minimise gambling related harms through the prevention of problems and enhancement of controls for those at risk of disordered gambling. However, customer engagement with these tools is very low. Dev...

It is generally believed that there is an instrumental relationship between problem gambling and crime such that some gamblers resort to illegal activity to recoup financial shortfalls resulting from their gambling. However, a clear understanding of the risk factors for the commission of crimes beyond financial stresses is absent in the literature....

Despite being recognised as an addiction in the psychological and legal domains, gambling disorder does not mitigate the culpability of perpetrators of gambling-related offences in Australia. This article will argue that this stance is misguided, as it is founded upon misconceptions about the nature of problem gambling, exaggerated emphasis upon ce...

Self-exclusion is an important harm minimization strategy implemented by gambling operators to restrict a problem gambler’s access to gambling opportunities. Aspects of self-exclusion, including low uptake and non-compliance, limit the effectiveness of programs. Research that considers the consumer perspective is needed to enhance the perceived uti...

Financial institutions have corporate social responsibility to assist customers in enhancing their financial well-being, and to make a positive contribution to society given the considerable role that they play in customers’ everyday lives. Financial institutions are involved in gambling through facilitating gambling transactions, including provisi...

The exact origins of gambling have faded into obscurity but its presence dates back to antiquity. Archaeological findings offer evidence of games of chance played circa 4000 years BC, with many forms laying the foundation for subsequent gambling where items of values were exchanged on the outcome of chance events. Societal acceptance of gambling ha...

Several studies have found that certain traits of impulsivity are associated with gambling disorder, and influence its severity. Furthermore, it has been suggested that some forms of gambling, particularly electronic gambling machines, are particularly widespread among pathological gamblers. In the present, exploratory study, we aim to clarify the...

Background: Tensions exist with various stakeholders facing competing interests in providing legal land-based and online regulated gambling products. Threats to revenue/taxation occur in response to harm minimisation and responsible gambling policies. Setting aside the concept of total prohibition, the objectives of responsible gambling are to enco...

This article aimed to develop and validate a measure of protective beliefs – distinct from the absence of erroneous beliefs – that may be associated with resistance to gambling problems. Study 1 was designed to determine the reliability and content validity of a preliminary set of protective belief items. Participants (N = 1479, 813 males) also com...

This brief report examines whether there are differences in aspects of different characteristics, including design/methodologies of responsible gambling (RG), between studies funded by industry as compared to other sources. To investigate this, the authors used those studies included in a recent meta-analysis focusing on the empirical basis of RG i...

Gambling is a heavily regulated activity, but policies are difficult to enforce in the online context. While governments may attempt to restrict access to licensed providers only, consumers can access offshore sites, creating a potential risk of harm and reducing taxation. This article examines how consumers select Internet gambling sites, and the...

This study describes an exploratory investigation of retrospective data related to the experiences and outcomes of individuals enrolled in a centralized multi-venue self-exclusion program for up to 24 months. The program was designed to offer convenient registration and to empower individuals to prevent their entry into multiple gambling venues or...

Erratum to: Multi-Venue Self-Exclusion for Gambling Disorders: A Retrospective Process Investigation Originally published in JGI Online First section, Issue 38, Month 2018 DOI:http://dx.doi.org/xxx-xxxx-xxThere were errors in several values listed in Figure 5 under the subheadings “Abstinent” and “Non-abstinent.” Further, the order of these subhead...

This study describes an exploratory investigation of retrospective data related to the experiences and outcomes of individuals enrolled in a centralized multi-venue self-exclusion program for up to 24 months. The program was designed to offer convenient registration and to empower individuals to prevent their entry into multiple gambling venues or...

Gambling advertisements posted on social media websites such as Facebook are subject to few regulations. This study examined the differential effects of traditional print media (newspapers), and gambling operator and peer postings on Facebook on gambling attitudes and intentions to gamble in a sample of 120 male first-year university students. Part...

Paired-pulse Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is used to study inhibitory and excitatory mechanisms in the motor cortex through the measurement of short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI), indicative of GABAergic activity, and intracortical facilitation (ICF), indicative of glutamatergic activity. In the present study, TMS was delivere...

The literature has consistently reported an association between gambling disorders and various comorbid psychiatric and substance conditions. The majority of studies have been cross-sectional in nature, and therefore fail to describe the temporal sequences between these conditions. To investigate these temporal sequences we conducted a scoping revi...

This study describes an exploratory investigation of retrospective data related to the experiences and outcomes of individuals enrolled in a centralized multi-venue self-exclusion program for up to 24 months. The program was designed to offer convenient registration and to empower individuals to prevent their entry into multiple gambling venues or...

Studies point to a relationship between fantasy sports/daily fantasy sports (DFS) play and gambling behavior. However, little is known about the nature of those relationships, particularly regarding the development of gambling problems. This study investigates the nature, frequency, and preferences of gambling behavior as well as problem gambling s...

Motor impulsivity, which is an impairment in withholding and cancelling inappropriate responses, may account for the inability for pathological gamblers (PGs) to inhibit their urges to gamble. The aim of this systematic review was to perform a quantitative and qualitative synthesis of existing studies in order to assess whether PGs without comorbid...

Many jurisdictions have legalized and licensed online gambling sites. Nonetheless, a notable proportion of the online gambling market operates offshore. Offshore sites pose risks for consumers in terms of unsafe and disreputable practices, compete with domestically licensed sites and do not participate in the economies in which they operate. This s...

Following the recent changes to the diagnostic category for addictive disorders in DSM-5, it is urgent to clarify what constitutes behavioural addiction to have a clear direction for future research and classification. However, in the years following the release of DSM-5, an expanding body of research has increasingly classified engagement in a wide...

Commentary to: How can we conceptualize behavioural addiction without pathologizing common behaviours?

Esports bettors may represent an emerging cohort of gamblers. Concerns have been expressed about the vulnerability of these gamblers because of their young age and potential high engagement in Internet and game use. It is important to investigate whether esports bettors represent a cohort migrating to include other forms of gambling, or existing on...

The esports betting market remains predominantly unregulated, although regulated sites have begun offering options to wager on these types of events. Previously, esports has been considered a niche market sector with participants differing from traditional sports and race bettors. However, as esports increasingly becomes absorbed into mainstream ma...

Background and aims: Considerable variation of outcome variables used to measure recovery in the gambling treatment literature has precluded effective cross-study evaluations and hindered the development of best-practice treatment methodologies. The aim of this systematic review was to describe current diffuse concepts of recovery in the gambling...

Excessive gambling results in a range of diverse harms experienced by individuals and their family members. However, little consideration has been given to specifically assessing such harms. Despite recent attempts to comprehensively ‘list’ and describe the ‘wide net’ of specific harms, what remains particularly unclear is the best way to measure t...

Background: Topical corticosteroids are the standard of care in paediatric atopic dermatitis (pAD). However, messages that overstress possible side effects can have a negative impact on perceptions of safety and contribute to treatment non-adherence. The aim of this study was to assess general practitioners' (GPs') perception of the safety of topi...

Advances in Internet technology have substantially altered the characteristics of products offered by the gambling industry and associated effects on user experiences. Virtual reality gambling involves using an innovative 3D computer-based format with high-resolution graphics that totally immerses an individual into an interactive gambling environm...

In this study, we examined how beliefs about the nature and origin of sexual orientation were associated with sexual identity outcomes, namely internalized sexual stigma and sexual orientation uncertainty, and in turn, psychological well-being in sexual minority women. A community sample of 393 lesbian and 205 bisexual women were recruited for a cr...

Background: Topical corticosteroids (TCS) are key to managing chronic inflammatory dermatoses (CID). Parents/patients cite TCS phobia as an impediment to treatment adherence. Family/friends and the Internet are a source of misinformation on TCS which can negatively impact perceptions of TCS safety. Purpose: To assess information from family/friends...

Adolescent problem gambling prevalence rates are reportedly five times higher than in the adult population. Several school-based gambling education programs have been developed in an attempt to reduce problem gambling among adolescents; however few have been empirically evaluated. The aim of this review was to report the outcome of studies empirica...

The Pathways Model (Blaszczynski & Nower, 2002) is a theoretical framework that proposes three pathways for identifying etiological subtypes of problem gamblers. The model has been used to assist clinicians in developing individualized treatments that target not only the gambling behavior but also associated risk factors that may undermine recovery...

Many jurisdictions around the world have implemented Responsible Gambling (RG) programs for the purpose of preventing gambling-related harms. Using a research synthesis strategy, this paper examines the extant peer-reviewed empirical evidence underpinning RG strategies. Instead of reporting all available studies and then discarding many on the grou...

The aim of this report is to review evidence and theory regarding the gambling product through its structural characteristics (i.e., the ‘agent’ component of the epidemiological triangle). By providing a better understanding of structural characteristics, stakeholders should be better equipped to promote and evaluate responsible gambling and harm-m...

Internet-based interventions have emerged as a new treatment and intervention modality for psychological disorders. Given their features of treatment flexibility, anonymity and confidentiality, this modality may be well suited in the management of addictive behaviours. A systematic literature review of the effectiveness and treatment outcomes of In...

Sports betting activities, particularly among youth, is increasing rapidly in Ugandan. The aim of this study was to determine the motivation for sports betting among Ugandan youth, and the social economic impact of this form of gambling. In a cross sectional quantitative research design, a questionnaire data was obtained from a sample of 181 youth...

Restrictions on monetary payout may promote player engagement in gambling as a form of entertainment rather than as a source of income. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of monetary prize magnitude upon gambling behaviour in a community sample, and the degree to which this association is moderated by gambling risk factors. One hundred and e...

The emergence of daily fantasy sports has generated significant debate as to whether it constitutes gambling. Under current US law, States variably determine the legality of daily fantasy sports on the basis of it being a skill-based competition (legal) or a form of gambling where chance plays a major role (illegal). Accordingly, inconsistent State...

Losses disguised as wins (LDWs) appear to reinforce gambling persistence. However, little research has examined this phenomenon with real gamblers in natural gambling settings. We aimed to examine the relationship between within-session outcome size and subsequent gambling persistence. Account-based gambling data of individuals playing LDW games ov...

Purpose: To assess pharmacist and general practitioner (GP) advice and behaviors, as related to and reported by patients and parents of patients using topical corticosteroids (TCS) on a long-term basis. Materials and methods: Multicenter cross-sectional survey of patients (aged 18+) and parents of pediatric patients (aged <18) with a history of...

Professional gamblers are more likely than amateur gamblers to meet criteria for problem gambling but minimal research has examined their gambling behavior and its consequences. This study compared gambling behavior, problem gambling symptoms, related harms, recognition, and help-seeking among problem semi/professional gamblers (PPGs/PSPGs) and pro...

Although high rates of problem gambling have been identified among Internet gamblers, most studies have failed to identify the relative contribution of multiple forms of gambling as opposed to the exclusive participation in online forms. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in mental health status in exclusive online, exclusive land...

The RENO Model, first published during 2004, described a science-based framework of responsible gambling principles for a range of industry operators, health service providers, community and consumer groups, and governments. These strategic principles serve as a guide for the adoption and implementation of responsible gambling and harm-minimization...