Training program on responsible gambling among video lottery employees

Abstract

A training session was developed in the Province of Quebec, Canada to inform video lottery terminal (VLT) employees about problem gamblers and how to help them. This study evaluated the effects of this training program on the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of employees. A pre-post experimental design with control group and an eight-month follow-up was used. A total of 826 employees completed a questionnaire before and after the training; 456 were re-evaluated at follow-up. A behavioural evaluation was also carried out by a pseudo patron who visited 82 VLT venues at pre-post and 63 venues at follow-up. The results showed that the session improved employees' attitudes regarding problem gamblers and increased their knowledge about how to help. The results also showed behavioural change after the training. These changes were not fully maintained at follow-up. It is suggested that responsible gambling training programs include strategies to maintain long-term positive effects.

Keywords:

• responsible gambling
• gambling industry
• training
• evaluation
• electronic gaming machines

Acknowledgements

We wish to acknowledge the participation of the many staff members of the Centre québécois d'excellence pour la prévention et le traitement du jeu who contributed to the data collection and statistical analyses of the study, especially Sophie Lafond, Michel Dumont, Martin Leclerc, Claude Boutin and Daniel Lalande.

During the preparation of this article, Julie Dufour held scholarships from the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la société et la culture (Quebec Fund for Research on Society and Culture; Quebec, Canada) and the Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux du Québec (Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services). This study was financially supported by the Fondation Mise sur toi of Loto-Québec and was carried out while the Centre québécois d'excellence pour la prévention et le traitement du jeu (Quebec Centre for Excellence in the Prevention and Treatment of Gambling) was receiving research funds from the following organizations: Ontario Problem Gambling Research Council, Fonds Équipe Formation de Chercheurs et l'Aide à la Recherche, Conseil de Recherche Médicale du Canada, Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la société et la culture, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Régies des alcools, des courses et des jeux, Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Québec, Harrah's Operating Funds, Loto-Québec and the Fondation Mise sur toi of Loto-Québec.