Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health
Summary
This study extended the utility of the National Gambling Study by undertaking semi-structured interviews with 50 National Gambling Study participants who were recruited based on their gambling risk levels from prior interviews.
The study provides insights into the reasons why and how different groups of at-risk gamblers transition between five different types of gambling risk behaviour, and the points of intervention.
The report is detailed and complex in the wide variety of factors found to influence change in gambling behaviour. The research highlights the complexity of the interactions influencing behaviour and gambling addiction. The research is significant because it is based on a study of the same group of people whom have been followed over time.
The findings enhance wider understanding of gambling behaviour, explored ‘why’ and ‘how’ inter-related behaviours or motivators affect gambling behaviour, and highlighted factors that support long-term recovery. The importance of gambling advertising and the common theme of Lotto advertising, increased exposure to online gambling, and the convergence of gaming and gambling elements as triggers for relapse in risky gambling behaviour are timely insights to inform current policy thinking.
