Dear Colleagues,

Gambling is a popular activity in many countries. Whilst the majority of people who gamble do so in a sustainable and safe manner there are individuals who develop problematic gambling behaviours. The rise of online gambling has brought about changes to how people gamble, the extent and nature of which are not fully understood. However, the technologies that underpin online gambling also provide unique opportunities for prevention and intervention approaches that have not previously been available. This includes, but is not limited to, utilizing player data to provide intelligent, real-time, personalized responsible gambling messages. Further, early evidence would suggest that individuals changed their gambling habits during the COVID-19 pandemic, with some individuals moving from gambling in land-based venues to gambling online for the first time. These developments have taken place within a context of complex and changing legislation around gambling and gambling-related phenomena, such as the advertising of gambling products. To date, there is a lack of research that explores the opportunities and challenges that these significant societal and technological changes bring to the prevention and intervention of gambling harms.  

In this Special Issue, we welcome submissions that report on research into the prevention and intervention of harmful gambling behaviours. This includes research into both clinical and non-clinical populations of any demographic, and of any gambling modality. Research into related behaviours (such as for example online gaming) will be considered, provided that a clear and explicit link is made as to why the work is relevant to gambling. More broadly we are interested in not just prevention strategies aimed directly at gamblers, but also research that explores how changes within the gambling industry may help prevent the development of problematic gambling. Examples of this include the presentation of responsible gambling messages at land-based gambling venues and on gambling websites; the transparency of game odds and mechanics; and the practices of gambling operators in targeting marketing and engagement techniques at specific individuals.

Prof. Dr. John McAlaney
Dr. Ruijie Wang
Dr. Reece Bush-Evans
Guest Editors

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• Gambling
• Prevention
• Harm reduction
• Intervention
• Technology
• Advertising
• Marketing
• Gaming