In this report, BIT’s Gambling Policy & Research Unit presents findings from a study looking at the impact of Activity Statements on gambling behaviour. We designed and tested four different versions of activity statements (see below), via an online randomised control trial (RCT) with 5463 people who gamble in the UK. Participants saw one of the four versions and were then asked to play a slot game designed for research purposes.
- Seeing any activity statement resulted in improved recall of the amount bet in previous rounds, lower amounts bet, and lower average stakes.
- The baseline and call to action statements decreased the total amount bet and average stake size the most, compared to receiving no statement.
- Activity statements had no impact on the time spent playing or the number of spins.
- 9 in 10 participants felt that activity statements should be implemented by gambling operators.
Activity statements can help individuals manage their online gambling behaviour, through allowing them to make more informed decisions.
As a next step, we are hoping to trial the statements in the ‘real world’ with an operator, to further refine the designs and test the impact on actual gambling behaviour. Please do get in touch at gambling@bi.team if you would like to discuss this further!
