Online Gambling at the crossroads:

the role of big data

Sylvia Kairouz, PhD

Research Chair on Gambling

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Concordia University

Summer Interactive Symposium

Montreal

June 10, 2015

Presentation plan

The context

Data

Feedback loops

Discussion

The context

February 10th, 2010

The Government announces that

the “Société des loteries du

Québec” will be authorized to

offer online gambling

Public health directors

Researchers

Health professionnals

The Quebec

Ombudsman

Loto-Québec

Ministry of Finance

STATE CONSTITUENCIES ARE NOT

MONOLITHIC

SOCIO-SANITARY

HYPOTHESIS

SOCIO-ECONOMIC

HYPOTHESIS

Competing views

CONTEXT

SOCIO-SANITARY HYPOTHESIS – Wellbeing, prevention and treatment

LEGAL ONLINE GAMBLING OFFERING

number of gamblers

number of at-risk gamblers

gambling-related problems

CONTEXT

SOCIO-ECONOMIC HYPOTHESIS – Taxation and revenus

LEGAL ONLINE GAMBLING OFFERING

illegal online gambling

secure and trustful offering

MANDATE

JUNE, 2010 - Establishment of an Online Gambling Working

Group

1.Social impact of Quebec legal online gambling offering;

2.Regulatory, technical, economic and legal measures to

counter illegal gambling.

METHODOLOGY

MONITORING SYSTEM

continuous, systematic collection, analysis and

interpretation of online gambling-related data

SUMMON THE FACTS

DATA TRIANGULATION

Online Gambling

Web Espacejeux

data

Self-reported Survey data

Health services

and Prevention data

International regulation

stakeholders

Web poker gambling

data

Google analytics and

Alexa web data

DATA TRIANGULATION

Online Gambling

Web Espacejeux

data

Self-reported Survey data

Health services

and prevention data

International regulation

stakeholders

Web poker gambling

data

Google analytics and

Alexa web data

Participation

legal siteGambling

patterns

Participation

Legal and

illegal sites

Gambling

patterns and

problems

Gambling

problems

Participation

illegal sites

Sites

proximity

and

accessibility

Regulation

models

Feedback loops

Web Espacejeux

data

Survey data

SO

CIO

-SA

NIT

AR

Y L

OO

P

Health services

and prevention

data

Tracking of

online

gambling

habits

Self-reported

online

gambling

habits

Service

utilization &

prevention

initiatives

Prevention & Social

Services & Treatment

Risk and problems associated with online gambling

Findings

Online gambling is marginal : 1.3% in 2009 – 1.4% in

2012

Not often, not much, not long;

Treatment services are available; service utilization is

low;

Prevention - Focused on pathology – Shame and

harm to others;

Role of State monopoly in prevention? Opposing

messaging between prevention and promotional

strategies.

Recommendations

Redefine Loto-Quebec corporate social responsibility

- management of gambling offerings;

Create and mandate an independent regulatory body

(advertisement; offerings; security; integrity of

games);

Adjustment of prevention messaging – risk of

stigmatizing gamblers

Feedback loops

Web Espacejeux

data

EC

ON

OM

IC L

OO

P

Tracking of

online

gambling

habits

Unregulated

poker

gambling

Web accessibility

and proximity of

gambling sites

Regulatory measures

and market control

Taxation & revenus

Web poker gambling

data

Google analytics and

Alexa web data

Results

No channelling of offer

Besides Espacejeux, still 2,000 unregulated sites available;

75% of online gamblers played on unregulated sites;

Unregulated sites are more accessible and popular;

Revenus 20.5 M$ (2011/12) – 31.6 M$ (2012/2013);

Supervision and control of State monopoly practices

should be entrusted with independent body?

Recommendations

Take necessary actions to amend the criminal code;

Continuous tracking and monitoring of online

gambling.

Feedback loops

Online gambling patterns and problems

Prevention

Promotion

SOCIO-SANITARY

LOOP

Prevention & treatment

SOCIO-ECONOMIC

LOOP

Looping effect

The creation of a category

The online gambler

DATA TRIANGULATION

Online Gambling

Web Espacejeux

data

Self-reported Survey data

Health services

Administrative data

International regulation

stakeholders

Web poker gambling

data

Google analytics and

Alexa web data

Online Gambler

Web Espacejeux

data

Self-reported Survey data

Health services

Administrative data

International regulation

stakeholders

Web poker gambling

data

Google analytics and

Alexa web data

The online gambler

Assumption that online gambling = greater risk and

problems:

Focus on behavioral indicators.

Tracking and surveillance using big data?

Contrast of online/offline gambling is limited:

Role of context?

Role of digitalization?

Role of web interface?

1

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION