At times, studies on human behavior differ from people’s opinions about research. Rutgers University’s Center for Gambling Studies recently released survey findings that proved the two issues.
The study’s results include gambling’s effect on New Jersey residents. However, it is prudent to consider the derived data and research methodology to make informed decisions.
More About the Rutgers Study
The Center for Gambling Studies gave the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) another report on New Jersey resident’s gambling habits. It offers more insight into their habits compared to the 2017 report.
The researchers urged the public to take part in phone surveys or online surveys. They got 3,512 responses and decided to make the participants the state’s population representatives. The surveys concentrated on people’s playing frequency, gambling location, favorite games, and how they feel during games.
High-Risk Gambling Continues
The latest report indicates that high-risk problem gambling has reduced since 2017. It describes high-risk problem bettors as players who wagered in the last year and got an eight or above Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) score. The number of respondents in that group reduced from 6.3 percent to 5.6 percent in the past six years.
This is equivalent to 196 fewer participants in the last survey pool. It is advisable not to hastily conclude that problem gambling is reducing in the state as a 0.07 percent drop since 2017 is an insignificant statistic change. Moreover, the percentage doesn’t reveal why it changed by such a small margin.
The National Library of Medicine published a study in 2016 indicating the impact of social desirability on such surveys. Typically, people conceal their behavior during polls as they want to make interviewers believe that it is normal. Therefore, survey results can be meaningless if the respondents aren’t honest.
Is Online Casino a Growing Social Concern?
The state’s online casino industry is growing fast, based on the DGE’s monthly revenue reports. Its gaming revenue in August was the second-highest monthly total in its history. The survey’s data shows that the number of online players has increased by 10 percent of late.
Even so, some respondents stated that they only play games at land-based casinos. This figure dropped from 76 percent to 49 percent since 2017 in the latest study.
The research disclosed that the number of respondents who play at brick-and-mortar and online casinos rose from 19 percent to 36 percent. But it is tricky to link iGaming’s growth with a decline in the number of players at physical casinos.
Researchers aimed at helping New Jersey create programs for people addicted to gambling. The DGE has been creating policies and acting based on the data it receives.
For example, it declared its partnership with local online casinos a few months ago to collect information on gambling behavior to understand the habit better. The gaming division formed a hotline for players and an online betting self-exclusion program.
