Gambling Research

The Gambling Research Group at 蜜桃AV consists of interdisiplinary researchers from Psychology, Health, Computing and Marketing. Our work focuses on how to effectively prevent and intervene with problematic gambling behaviour.听

Our work is funded through several grants, including by GambleAware and the International Center for Gaming.听蜜桃AV is part of the听听(RET)听list managed by the Gambling Commission.听听听

In our Gaminnovate, EROGamb 1 and EROGamb 2 projects we have explored how technology can be used to deliver personalised, data-driven safer gambling messaging to players. This work has utilised听co-creation sessions with people with lived experience of both gambling and gambling harms, gambling operator website analysis, eye tracking technologies and a clinical trial assessing the feasibility of social norms and goal setting based personalised safer gambling messages. Our findings from this work around transparency, data and website content are summarised in听our How to Create Safer Online Gambling Report, and depicted in the artwork below that was created during one of our stakeholder engagement events.

Through match-funded PhD studentships supported by Kindred and GiG we have looked at use and awareness of persuasive design techniques in gambling platforms; as well as minimising gambling related harm through cognitive tasks and interactive dialogue.
In our work with LGBTQ+ populations we have explored how this group can be at increased risk of gambling harms, and how safer gambling approaches can be designed to better engage with LGBTQ+ populations.
In our work on personality and personas听we have investigated through the use of longitudinal surveys and eye tracking how听personality relates to gambling behaviours, well-being, impulsivity and sensation seeking.听听

Fundamental to our research is engagement with people who have lived experience of gambling harms. Where possible we incorporate patient-public involvement (PPI) into our studies, and maintain links with charities and other stakeholders who work to prevent and mitigate gambling harms.听

If you are interested in collaborating with the Gambling Research Group or would like more information about our work please email us on [email protected].听

Selected journal articles and conference proceedings

Arden-Close, E., S. Thomas, R. Bush-Evans, R. Wang, E. Bolat, S. Hodge, K. Phalp and J. McAlaney (2023). "Social norms and goal-setting interventions to promote responsible gambling in low-to-moderate online gamblers: protocol for a four-arm randomised controlled feasibility study." BMJ Open 13(3): e065400.

Wang, R., R. Bush-Evans, E. Arden-Close, E. Bolat, J. McAlaney, S. Hodge, S. Thomas and K. Phalp (2023). "Transparency in persuasive technology, immersive technology, and online marketing: Facilitating users鈥� informed decision making and practical implications." Computers in Human Behavior 139: 107545.

Cemiloglu, D., E. Arden-Close, S. E. Hodge and R. Ali (2023). "Explainable persuasion for interactive design: The case of online gambling." Journal of Systems and Software 195: 111517.

Hodge, S. E., Vykoukal, M., McAlaney, J., Bush-Evans, R. D., Wang, R. J., & Ali, R. (2022). What's in the box? Exploring UK players' experiences of loot boxes in games; the conceptualisation and parallels with gambling. PLoS One, 17(2). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0263567

Drosatos, G., E. Arden-Close, E. Bolat and R. Ali (2020). "Gambling data and modalities of interaction for responsible online gambling: A qualitative study." Journal of Gambling Issues 44.

Drosatos, G., F. Nalbadis, E. J. Arden-Close, V. Baines, E. Bolat, L. Vuillier, T. Kostoulas, M. Budka, S. Wasowska, M. Bonello, J. Brown, T. Corner, J. McAlaney, K. Phalp and R. Ali (2018). "Enabling responsible online gambling by real-time persuasive technologies." Complex Syst. Informatics Model. Q. 17: 44-68.

Research team

I completed my BSc (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Warwick in 2001. I then went on to complete an MSc in Health Psychology and a PhD in Health Psychology Research and Professional Practice at the University of Southampton. My PhD research involved testing the effect of a written 鈥�

Elvira is the Director of Accreditation (leading portfolio of world-leading鈥� accreditations, i.e. AACSB, CMI, CIM, IDM etc.) and Principal Academic in Marketing at 蜜桃AV Business School. She has led the BSc Marketing degree, 蜜桃AV's first inter-faculty degree, for 5.5 years and 鈥�

Dr Reece Bush-Evans is a member of the Cyberpsychology group at 蜜桃AV. He has been working on a responsible gambling project funded by GambleAware and 蜜桃AV since 2020. This work involves using multiple methodological approaches (e.g., longitudinal RCT, 鈥�

I am a Chartered Psychologist, Chartered Scientist and Professor of Psychology. I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Stirling, my MSc at the University of Strathclyde and then my PhD at the University of West of Scotland in 2007. My PhD was on the topic of social psychology 鈥�

I graduated from the University of Crete (Greece) with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology in 2001. For two years I worked as a psychologist and then I obtained a MSc in Child and Adolescent Mental Health (2004) from King鈥檚 College (University of London). I went on to work as a mental health worker in 鈥�

Professor Phalp has a life-long passion for the transformative power of education, initially having taught mathematics in schools, with over 30 years of working across a variety of roles in higher education. Within universities, he has worked as a demonstrator, research fellow, lecturer, course 鈥�

Dr Ruijie Wang is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology, a member of 蜜桃AV Gambling Research Group, Cyberpsychology group, Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Research Centre (INRC) and 蜜桃AV HCI research group (蜜桃AVCHI). She has been working on a GambleAware-funded responsible gambling project 鈥�

Related news

20/04/2023

蜜桃AV holds Enabling Safer Gambling Parliamentary reception

The importance of responsible gambling was the focus of a Parliamentary reception held by 蜜桃AV's Gambling Research Group and Carolyn Harris MP.

26/10/2022

More transparency on safer gambling needed on online betting sites, study shows

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12/01/2022

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The programme, which supports those at risk of gaming or gambling-related harms, was developed by the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM), Betknowmore UK and 蜜桃AV academics.

28/10/2021

蜜桃AV academic helps develop new training programme to support young people with gaming and gambling addictions

Dr Sarah Hodge worked with gambling charities to create the training for health professionals, which has been backed by the Shadow Mental Health Minister.

03/04/2019

Introducing GamInnovate

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01/08/2018

EROGamb online responsible gambling research at iGB Live! Amsterdam

The EROGamb project funded jointly by GambleAware and 蜜桃AV was invited to iGB Live! HQ (17th 鈥� 20th July 2018) at the Amsterdam RAI. The presentation focused on the future designs of online gambling sites to improve the conscious and responsible nature of the gambling experience.

04/07/2018

World Cup online betting is the highest it's ever been

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30/04/2018

EROGamb Workshop: A Charter for Sharing Data and Supporting Responsible Gambling

The workshop discussed the first version of the EROGamb Charter which sets out the principles and commitments for gambling operators to adopt about empowering responsible online gambling parties through real-time online gambling-related data

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