To effectively reduce the risks of gambling harm, regulators need to understand the player, how they gamble and the underlying triggers that influence their behaviour. In today’s market this is easier said than done.

Online gambling has grown rapidly in recent years, and constantly evolving technology has made it difficult for regulators to keep up with the state-of-play.

As part of IAGR2019’s keynote sessions, Aisling Ni Chonaire from the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) and Jack Wilson from 2CV Research will be sharing up-to-date research into gambling behaviour.

Aisling leads BIT’s research into gambling behaviour, advising regulators, government departments, and non-government organisations on designing evidence-based policy.

Jack is Head of Digital at 2CV Research, working extensively in the gaming sector – both for commercial clients and in the regulatory space.

Both presenters talked to IAGR eNews about the insights they’ll be covering at IAGR2019.

A day in the life of…

‘What motivates people to gamble and how does gambling fit into the day to day life of the average person? This is the key question we set out to answer on behalf of the UK Gambling Commission,’ said Jack.

Jack is currently leading a three-year qualitative research project on behalf of the UK regulator. He’ll share key insights from the research and introduce a set of motivational typologies identified through in-the-moment tracking of gambling behaviour.

‘Over the last few months we’ve conducted an extensive program of qualitative and digital research with over 100 people across the UK, exploring what motivates people to gamble and the role it plays in their lives,’ Jack added.

‘We know that asking people “why they gamble” is never simple. A key part of our research involved using digital research tools to capture motivations and triggers for gambling at the point of play.’

Find out more about Jack and his keynote session.

Shedding light on our impulsive ‘e-lives’

‘Behavioural biases impact our lives daily, from our food choices to our savings habits (or lack thereof),’ said Aisling.

‘Our e-lives are no exception with these biases manifesting in rapidly evolving ways in online environments. As a result, we are acting more impulsively, taking more short-cuts, and spending less time reflecting on our decisions online.’

Aisling added, ‘While online gambling has grown exponentially over the past decade the same cannot be said of the evidence base outlining what works to protect gamblers online.

‘Over the past two years, BIT has been building this evidence base. As experimental and behavioural science experts, BIT has identified the risky practices that appear on online platforms, mapped the behavioural biases that people are exposed to, and run experiments with operators to increase safer play.’

Aisling’s session will summarise BIT’s work to date and share recommendations for regulators, governments and practitioners.

Read Aisling’s bio and find out more about her presentation.

If you haven’t already, take a look at our impressive speaker lineup and program for IAGR2019. As spaces are limited, don’t leave it too late to book your spot.

See you in Jamaica!