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New Harvard Medical School Study "online gaming does not promote gambling addiction"

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11-13-2014 , 04:25 AM

#76

_Steven Levitt_

adept

Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,072

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richas

You don't seem to understand either piece of research.

The first is not a lie. It shows that the vast majority on Internet gamblers bet modestly, infrequently and in a clearly controlled way. They are not problem gamblers. it also shows that there are a small number of very heavy gamblers who bet a lot, spend a lot of time on it or who lose a lot of money. This small group is highly significant to the site's revenues.

No lie - there are some problem gamblers (not all those heavy users BTW, some of them).

The second study s of those at risk heavy gamblers.

Both bits of research seem to be well worked out, to be of a high standard (though to be fair gambling research as a whole suffers from difficulties in using proper control groups).

The two bits of research do not contradict each other at all - they are talking about different people, the vast majority and the at risk group.

Then there is another strand of research. That is the longitudinal studies using large population samples. They measure how many people are problem gamblers. They are longitudinal as what they do is ask the same questions of similar samples but years apart. The point is to measure the current rate in a way that can be compared to earlier years. These studies show that even though there are clearly at risk or problem gamblers who use Internet gambling there has been no rise at all, and possibly a small decline, in problem gambling rates since Internet gambling was invented and became popular.

We have three facts established.
1)Most Internet gamblers are not problem gamblers (exactly the same as offline gambling).
2)The small number of Problem Gamblers or high spending non problem whales spend a lot of money on it so they are significant for site revenues (exactly the same as offline gambling).
3)The surprising (for some) result that the introduction of easier access whether via new states allowing casinos or Internet gambling being made legal and available has not led to any rise in problem gambling rates.

There are no lies in this, these are three complimentary research findings.

You are of course right that the news that Internet Gambling has not led to more problem gambling is not really news for the mainstream media. In the UK we have a seemingly endless campaign against machines in bookmakers (funded by a casino competitor).

After monitoring the UK media on all gambling matters for the past decade it has taught me that wild claims of harm or huge increases in problem gambling or targeting the poor go unchallenged by the media. Every now and then those of us that care about facts and truth get a correction printed but the screaming headline of "doubling problem gambling" gets printed again and again...sometimes it is just wrong, sometimes it is an active lie by the antis and their journo mates but mostly it is that blood leads...if the story says the world is going to hell in a handbasket it gets the front page...a story saying worries turn out to have been misplaced never gets used at all.

This is a pretty nailed on summary.

A further useful piece of supplementary research is here (apologies if already posted; haven't read the full thread): http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/1...95.2014.893585

The authors use 2SLS estimation to observe the relationship between online gambling and PG severity. The results help supplement the summary above. It actually finds that online gamblers are less likely to show up on the PG radar than those who gamble offline but not online.

Quote

11-13-2014 , 08:03 AM

#77

Uh*Oh

adept

Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 761

Quote:

Originally Posted by gdsfather

Uh Oh. I have no idea how you determined that study was only on poker sites, because I originally came across it on a strictly science website, that only shows science studies. I'm sure plenty of poker sites are promoting it, as they should. It's still on plenty of other reputable websites. Also that summary you posted says nothing of what you claimed.

There IS NO study as claimed in the OP. It's not on the Harvard Medical site or anywhere else. Google the pertinent terms and you will see the claim is only on gambling sites. If this were real, you'd see links to the actual study, you'd have the names of the people who did it and when and how, and you'd see this info on news sites.

Last edited by Uh*Oh; 11-13-2014 at 08:31 AM.

Quote

11-13-2014 , 08:13 AM

#78

Uh*Oh

adept

Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 761

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richas

You don't seem to understand either piece of research.

The first is not a lie...

The first doesn't appear to exist. THAT'S the lie this entire thread is based upon.

Who did the study? When did they do it? Where is a link to the study?

Last edited by Uh*Oh; 11-13-2014 at 08:24 AM.

Quote

11-13-2014 , 10:05 AM

#79

Richas

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 3,440

Here is another link to Dr Shaffer's work using BWIN data.

http://www.ncrg.org/sites/default/fi...ling_final.pdf

By coincidence as part of my ongoing dialogue with the UKGC about PG issues I heard that he was at their offices this week doing a presentation. It included the Pareto Principle (the 80-20) rule and how that applies to lots of businesses including gambling both online and offline.

This research was done, it has been published in various ways and it was done by a very well respected lead researcher and his team at Harvard.

Shaffer HJ, Peller AJ, LaPlante DA, Nelson SE, LaBrie R. Toward a paradigm shift in Internet gambling research:
From opinion and self-report to actual behavior. Addict Res Theory. 2010;18(3):270–283.

. Shaffer HJ, LaBrie RA, LaPlante DA, Nelson SE, Stanton MV. The road less traveled: Moving from distribution to
determinants in the study of gambling epidemiology. Can J Psych. 2004;49(8):504–516.
4. LaPlante DA, Kleschinsky JH, LaBrie RA, Nelson SE, Shaffer HJ. Sitting at the virtual poker table: A prospective
epidemiological study of actual Internet poker gambling behavior. Comput Hum Behav. 2009;25(3):711 – 717.
Available at: http://ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/log...rect=true&db=a
ph&AN=38804998&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
5. LaPlante DA, Kleschinsky J, LaBrie RA, Nelson SE, Shaffer HJ. Sitting at the virtual poker table: A prospective
epidemiological study of actual Internet poker gambling behavior. Comput Hum Behav. 2009;25(3):711–717.

Last edited by Richas; 11-13-2014 at 10:13 AM.

Quote

11-13-2014 , 11:18 AM

#80

albedoa

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 5,481

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uh*Oh

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uh*Oh

The first doesn't appear to exist. THAT'S the lie this entire thread is based upon.

Who did the study? When did they do it? Where is a link to the study?

I linked you to The Atlantic, which qualifies as a news magazine. I linked you directly to the study conducted by the University of Hamburg who have supplemented a body of research by Harvard. The names of the researchers are included in those links and on the Harvard Medical School Division on Addiction website. The lead researcher for the Harvard material is Howard Shaffer.

You are being plainly dishonest and trying to mislead anyone who reads your posts, even in the wake of solid evidence and lengthy explanations by people who obviously know more than you about this subject.

Stop posting.

Quote

11-13-2014 , 12:40 PM

#81

Uh*Oh

adept

Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 761

Quote:

Originally Posted by albedoa

It's a simple matter, POST PROOF OF THE STUDY CLAIMED IN THE OP. You know, the one supposedly done by Harvard Medical School that says "online gaming does not promote gambling addiction"

FACTS please. Provide proof that the study exists.

Quote

11-13-2014 , 12:52 PM

#82

Richas

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 3,440

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uh*Oh

The studies were listed in my last post but none of them are as simplistic as your comment here. Go to a decent university library with access to the expensive papers listed and read them. Failing that read the white paper I linked to. If that fails wite to Howard Shaffer and ask him.

Quote

11-13-2014 , 01:05 PM

#83

omnishakira

High Troller

Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 9,732

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prolific528

This. I mean, come on. I'm all for making the game look good in front of the ignorant public, but this is a load of garbage.

What to believe, an harvard study or nvg hmmm

Quote

11-13-2014 , 01:07 PM

#84

Uh*Oh

adept

Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 761

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richas

Why is everyone being so obtuse? If this were a real study done by Harvard Medical School it would be the biggest news in the field of gambling addiction in decades and would generate enormous worldwide press and debate. A link to the actual study can't be provided by anyone here, and it's not even mentioned on Harvard's Division on Addiction site.

I just emailed Harvard's Division on Addiction. I'll post any reply on this thread.

Quote

11-13-2014 , 01:35 PM

#85

Richas

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 3,440

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uh*Oh

Again, these are the references:

Quote:

2 Shaffer HJ, Peller AJ, LaPlante DA, Nelson SE, LaBrie R. Toward a paradigm shift in Internet gambling research:
From opinion and self-report to actual behavior. Addict Res Theory. 2010;18(3):270–283.

3. Shaffer HJ, LaBrie RA, LaPlante DA, Nelson SE, Stanton MV. The road less traveled: Moving from distribution to
determinants in the study of gambling epidemiology. Can J Psych. 2004;49(8):504–516.

4. LaPlante DA, Kleschinsky JH, LaBrie RA, Nelson SE, Shaffer HJ. Sitting at the virtual poker table: A prospective
epidemiological study of actual Internet poker gambling behavior. Comput Hum Behav. 2009;25(3):711 – 717.
Available at: http://ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/log...rect=true&db=a
ph&AN=38804998&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Here id the white paper covering it:

http://www.ncrg.org/sites/default/fi...ling_final.pdf

Quote

11-13-2014 , 01:46 PM

#86

Uh*Oh

adept

Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 761

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richas

Again, these are the references:

Here id the white paper covering it:

http://www.ncrg.org/sites/default/fi...ling_final.pdf

Thank you Richas, I will read the white paper, and I will post any reply I receive from the Division on Addiction.

Quote

11-13-2014 , 01:47 PM

#87

albedoa

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 5,481

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uh*Oh

I'll post any reply on this thread.

You want us to believe that an admitted and adamant science denialist will post any reply he receives from the research center whose work he refuses to acknowledge. That's rich.

Quote

11-13-2014 , 02:32 PM

#88

heater

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 11,402

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uh*Oh

Why is everyone being so obtuse? If this were a real study done by Harvard Medical School it would be the biggest news in the field of gambling addiction in decades and would generate enormous worldwide press and debate. A link to the actual study can't be provided by anyone here, and it's not even mentioned on Harvard's Division on Addiction site.

I just emailed Harvard's Division on Addiction. I'll post any reply on this thread.

LOL