Aug 7, 2024 | ABOUT MNAPG, ADVOCACY
MNAPG added TikTok to the ranks of its social media channels last fall. Northern Light sat down with Rhiana Stark of Evans-Stark Design, to learn more about this effort.
Rhiana Stark, Marketing Specialist
NL: When did MNAPG gain its presence on TikTok?
RS: Our TikTok was established in September of 2023. Our first video was an introduction to who MNAPG is and what we do.
NL: How many followers do we have to date?
RS: We have 1,783 followers as of July 1, 2024, and we have made 31 posts as of that date.
NL: What are the primary goals for our TikTok strategy?
RS: There are two primary goals: raising awareness about problem gambling to a young demographic and providing resources for users looking for help.
Raising awareness includes educating younger people about what problem gambling is and what it looks like, how problem gambling is similar to addictions they are more likely to take seriously and have indirect or direct experience with, such as alcohol and drug addiction, and the danger of activities that don’t present as gambling but introduce and encourage gambling behavior, such as lottery tickets and loot boxes. We published MNAPG’s PSA on TikTok that emphasizes the similarity between gambling addiction and other addictions. (See https://www.tiktok.com/@mnapg/video/7303622776265461023.)
As far as providing resources for users that are looking for help, our TikTok content promotes the comparative tool survey [an individual’s betting behavior is compared against the behavior of other Minnesotans], the Minnesota problem gambling helpline, Gamban and BetBlocker, along with mental health-focused meditations and “scrolling breaks.”
NL: What are the demographics we hope to reach with TikTok?
RS: TikTok is a wonderful platform to reach an audience that, prior to our involvement on TikTok, was a little out of reach. The average age of TikTok users is 16–24, which is the general range we hope to reach with our content.
NL: What types of content have you found to be most effective for engaging our audience on TikTok?
RS: Users respond well to new information and TikTok has become a treasure trove for people around the world to learn new things without doing an extensive amount of their own research. When we publish educational content about gambling or gaming we get a lot of “saves,” which means people are bookmarking the video to return to it later or saving it to their phone. We also get a lot of positive engagement with our meditation videos. The dependence that people in my [younger] generation have on their phones is not lost on me. In some ways, I think people are waiting for something like our meditation videos to come up as they scroll to remove them from their content consumption, and I see that in the comments and quality of engagement on those particular videos.
NL: Can you share a particular success story or a campaign that performed exceptionally well on TikTok?
RS: I wish I had a definite and simple answer to this but in reality, most of our campaigns do very well across the board. What I will say is that users on TikTok, especially the younger audience we speak to, are not usually looking for our content. We come up on their feed when they are probably trying to detach and zone out, and we are talking about things that may be difficult, boring or threatening to their way of life. Kids usually don’t want to be told to act with caution, think twice before taking actions online or limit the amount of time they spend doing something that brings them instant gratification. And they let us know in the comments. So, I don’t look at those things to measure our success or impact. I try to read between the lines. I scroll through the resistant-natured comments and once in a while, I’ll find a user that just says “thank you” or if we’re really lucky they’re asking how to get help. So even though we don’t have users overloading our analytics with positive replies, we are a present, consistent, neutral and reliable source of education and resources for those who need help, whenever they’re ready – I think that makes our efforts successful.
NL: What are some of the ways we assess our performance on TikTok?
RS: We measure engagement metrics similar to the way we monitor our other social platforms. This includes how long users are watching our videos, how many likes we’re getting, saves, reposts, shares, etc. We garner an average of 123,000 views per video that we post and promote.
NL: What strategies do we use to grow our follower base on TikTok?
RS: We are still building our community on TikTok, which we try to accomplish alongside our goals of spreading education, awareness and available resources. Our videos are intentionally created to capture the user’s imagination. On a platform where we are competing for views against creators that offer an almost unlimited pool of entertainment, it’s important to create videos that are visually appealing as well as educational and helpful. This is why so many of our videos are animated with graphics that mimic our brand identity and play an engaging sound to accompany the visual components.
Aug 7, 2024 | SPORTS BETTING
Ads for parlay bets are pervasive on sports television. And, not surprisingly, they have become quite popular. How do these bets work, why are they so popular and what risks do they hold, particularly for problem gamblers?
In sports betting, a parlay bet is when a bettor makes two or more bets and combines them into one wager. Depending on the sportsbook or the region, these bets may be called “accumulators” or “multis.”
The gambler must win every small bet to win the parlay bet, and losing just one of the smaller bets loses the parlay. A sportsbook typically provides larger payouts as more games are added to each parlay. Parlay bets are riskier since they comprise many individual chances but give a bigger payout if all individual wagers win.
As an example, someone might bet on the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears to win and the Green Bay Packers to lose on a given weekend. All three of these things must happen for the gambler to win money.
Bettors like parlays because they can generally risk less and win more. This is because they perceive less risk. The more legs of a parlay you add, the higher the payout but the more difficult it is to win the parlay.
Many people enjoy the high-risk, high-reward wager and may believe one big parlay win can change everything. This is particularly concerning for problem gamblers chasing losses who think that one bet will allow them to recoup their losses and repay any debt they’ve accumulated.
Same game parlays (SGPs) are a type of parlay that allows the bettor to combine multiple outcomes from the same game. For example, an SGP allows gamblers to bet on a quarterback’s passing yards, a receiver’s receiving yards and total points allowed by a team’s defense.
One advantage from a bettor’s perspective is that they need only watch a single game to see how their wager is faring rather than having to monitor multiple games.
As SGPs have exploded in popularity, almost all large sportsbooks have added them to their offerings. Thanks to heavy advertising before and after national games, SGPs have become more popular than any other betting type.
Given the odds and structures of SGP bets, a bettor is hard pressed to come out ahead over the long term. For bettors at risk for problem gambling, it can be tempting to bet on more and more parlays over time, which can be very dangerous.
Dr. Timothy Fong, a clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA’s Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, notes particular concerns with SGPs. “From what I understand, the same game parlay now is the dominant form of sports betting wager. In my mind that is like a slot machine bet. It’s not like a single bet on a winner or loser.”
The marketing of parlays by sportsbooks, particularly same game parlays, has increased as they are especially profitable. Popular sportsbooks place pre-built SGPs and parlays on their home pages, often suggesting parlays that relate to the home team, a popular athlete or recognizable sports personality.
Unfortunately, less sophisticated bettors don’t appreciate or understand the edge that’s baked into the odds for sportsbooks. Sports gamblers, as well as those who work with problem gamblers, should understand the danger of these types of bets.
Aug 7, 2024 | PROFESSIONALS, RESEARCH
Read the original article on The BASIS Here.
By John Slabczynski
Despite rising popularity, gambling remains a risky behavior that costs the U.S. an estimated $14 billion annually. One reason these costs are so high is because of the pervasiveness of gambling harms. Like other addictive behaviors, harms from gambling can stretch across multiple domains including social, occupational, health, financial, and even criminal. To minimize gambling harms, it is necessary to identify gamblers who might benefit from self-help tools or professional support, ideally before they experience severe consequences. One available screening tool is the Gambling Harms Scale 10 (GHS-10). One potential weakness of the GHS-10 is that it asks respondents to report whether they’re experiencing each harm using a simple “yes or no” format, rather than allowing them to report on how severely they’re experiencing a given harm. A person’s score is simply the total number of harms they’re experiencing. This week, The WAGER reviews a study by Philip Newall and colleagues that explored the validity of this measure by studying the lived experiences of gamblers in Australia with different levels of problem gambling severity according to the GHS-10.
What was the research question?
Is the GHS-10 a valid gambling harm screener, in that the lived experiences of gamblers relate in a logical way to their scores on the GHS-10?
What did the researchers do?
The researchers re-contacted a sample of 30 individuals from a previous study. These participants were recruited based on problem gambling severity according to scores on the GHS-10 from the previous study. Additionally, all participants were age 18 or older and had reported gambling within the past year. The research team then conducted semi-structured interviews with participants to elicit information about the role that gambling has played in their lives, including positive and negative experiences and harms to themselves and society more generally. The researchers grouped participants according to their GHS-10 scores (no-harm = 0 harms, low-harm = 1-2 harms, moderate-harm = 3-5 harms, and high-harm = 6-10 harms). Then they explored whether those with higher scores described having more severe negative experiences with gambling. This would support the idea that the GHS-10 is a valid measure.
What did they find?
Qualitative perceptions of gambling and experiences of harms were strongly related to participants’ GHS-10 scores (Figure shows themes and selected responses). For example, participants in the no-harm category described gambling as similar to any other leisure activity, with one participant describing the financial impact as the same as “collecting stamps”. In support of the GHS-10’s validity, as GHS-10 scores increased, so too did the propensity for financial harms. At the low-harm level, financial impacts were within reason but could veer towards regrettable. Participants in the moderate harm category occasionally experienced severe financial harms and participants in the high-harm category described significant financial harms. Interestingly, many other themes were present at multiple levels of problem gambling severity (e.g., gambling to build relationships) albeit with some adverse consequences or risk as problem gambling severity increased.
Figure: Displays the subthemes identified by the research team at each level of problem gambling severity, according to the GHS-10. A selected quote is shown under each subtheme that represents one participant’s understanding of each subtheme.
Why do these findings matter?
These findings are important because they provide more evidence for the utility of gambling harm screens, and the GHS-10 in particular. Specifically, this study showed that even without inquiring about the severity of gambling problems, the GHS-10 is able to discriminate between severe and less severe cases. Researchers should consider using this type of mixed methods approach that includes both quantitative and qualitative elements when studying gambling, as it can provide a more holistic view to better understand lived experiences.
Every study has limitations. What are the limitations in this study?
The researchers note that their background as gambling addiction researchers (and beyond that the developers of the GHS-10) might have biased their interpretations of participants’ qualitative responses. Additionally, though the overall sample contained 30 participants, no group of participants (i.e., across the no-harm, low-harm, moderate-harm, and high-harm gamblers groups) included more than eight participants, limiting the generalizability of this study.
Jun 17, 2024 | RESEARCH
Read the original article on The BASIS Here.
By Annette Siu
Professional adult athletes in Europe are more likely to gamble and are at an increased risk of problem gambling compared to non-athletes. This is potentially due to significant social and financial interrelations between sports and gambling. However, there is less known about gambling among younger athletes in Europe. It is especially important to address gambling within this age group because gambling at a young age is associated with an elevated risk of problem gambling and poorer mental health outcomes. This week, The WAGER reviews a study by Maria Vinberg and colleagues that examined the prevalence of problem gambling among young athletes at different skill levels in Sweden.
What were the research questions?
(1) Does the prevalence of problem gambling differ between male and female athletes who compete at different skill levels of their sports in Sweden?, and (2) Among young athletes, how do risky drinking and social acceptance of gambling relate to problem gambling?
What did the researchers do?
The authors recruited 1,636 athletes from the National Sports Education Program (“NIU” in Swedish) and 816 grassroots athletes, all aged 16 – 20 years old, to participate in this study. NIU athletes practice sports in connection with school and compete at an elite level, while grassroots athletes practice sports outside of school and compete at a non-elite level. To measure problem gambling and risky alcohol consumption, participants completed the Problem Gambling Severity Index and the AUDIT-C, respectively. The researchers also created a questionnaire to measure how accepting participants’ friends and family members were about gambling (e.g., “Gambling is important to my family”, “My classmates talk about gambling”).
What did they find?
The prevalence of problem gambling was higher among males compared to females for both groups of athletes (see Figure). The prevalence was also higher among male NIU athletes (5.5%) compared to male grassroots athletes (2.5%). While problem gambling among female athletes was very low, female NIU athletes were more likely to gamble in a non-problematic way than female grassroots athletes (26.1% vs. 18.5%).
Additionally, risky alcohol consumption was associated with problem gambling among both groups, especially among NIU athletes. Among NIU athletes, those who reported risky drinking had more than twice the odds of problem gambling than those who did not report risky drinking. Problem gambling was also associated with several aspects of gambling acceptance, including having classmates who talked about gambling and having family/friends who viewed gambling as important.
Figure. Prevalence of gambling and problem gambling among male and female NIU (i.e., elite) and grassroots (i.e., non-elite) athletes.
Why do these findings matter?
Gambling is prevalent among young athletes in Sweden, particularly among elite male athletes. This study suggests that they are especially vulnerable to developing problem gambling if they have family, teammates, or coaches with positive attitudes towards gambling. Thus, it is important to educate young athletes about the risks of gambling and to create targeted resources that address various contextual factors (e.g., school and team environments) that affect them. The NCAA’s sports wagering e-learning module and substance misuse prevention program are two examples of this type of education program.
Every study has limitations. What are the limitations in this study?
This study was conducted in Sweden and only included athletes from a few selected sports (including ice hockey, football, floorball, golf, and cross-country skiing), so the results might not be generalizable to other countries with different gambling attitudes or to athletes from different sports. Additionally, the researchers only used self-report measures, so the responses might be impacted by social desirability bias.
May 23, 2024 | ABOUT MNAPG, PROBLEM GAMBLING, PROFESSIONALS, RESOURCES
Minnesota Conference
The Minnesota Conference on Problem Gambling takes place on Thursday, Sept. 19 at the Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington. While we’re still finalizing the day’s sessions, here are some topics we plan to cover:
- The intersection of gambling and suicide
- Financial counseling for families
- The impact of gambling on families
- Community leader panel discussion about gambling
- Update on sports betting legislation
- National gambling attitudes survey results
Please check mnapg.org in the coming months for additional information about the conference as we solidify the agenda.
National Conference
The National Conference on Gambling Addiction & Responsible Gambling takes place in San Diego on July 17-19. The conference brings together world-class presenters to deliver powerful and insightful messages about problem gambling and responsible gambling. For more information and to register, visit ncpgconference.org.
