Using Icon Arrays to Communicate Gambling Information Reduces the Appeal of Scratch Card Games.

Walker, Alexander C.; Stange, Madison; Dixon, Mike J.; Fugelsang, Jonathan A.; Koehler, Derek J.

Past work has demonstrated that presenting statistical information in a foreground–background icon array can improve risk understanding, reduce decision-making biases, and decrease the salience of low-probability risks. In the present study, we assess whether presenting readily available gambling information within a foreground–background icon array influences individuals' gambling-related judgments (e.g., their perceived likelihood of winning a prize). Across two experiments (N = 1151), we find that using icon arrays to present gambling information reduces the appeal of scratch card games. That is, participants presented with gambling information in a foreground–background icon array, as opposed to a non-graphical numerical format, reported feeling less likely to win a prize, less excitement to play, and less urge to gamble on a scratch card game presented in a hypothetical gambling task. Overall, we conclude that presenting gambling information in an icon array format represents a simple yet promising tool for correcting gamblers' often overly-optimistic perceptions and reducing the appeal of negative expected value scratch card games.

GAMBLING; COMPULSIVE gambling; GAMBLING behavior; STATISTICS

Journal of Gambling Studies, 2023, Vol 39, Issue 1, p363

1050-5350

Academic Journal

10.1007/s10899-021-10103-5