Differences in motivational dimensions across gambling frequency, game choice and medium of play in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Motivations to gamble in the United Kingdom were examined in relation to gambling preferences and behaviour (gambling frequency, game choice, medium of play). A factor analysis delineated six motivational dimensions for gambling as a leisure activity: socialization through learning, escape, peripheral activity, fun/challenge, socialization through competition, and to win money. The motivational dimensions differed significantly for various gambling frequencies and across choice of games, though not across different media of play. More frequent gamblers chose to gamble for escape and/or fun/challenge purposes, while less frequent gamblers chose to gamble for socialization through learning and peripheral activities. Certain gambling motivations significantly affected decisions to play lottery, roulette, poker, betting and slots, but motivations were not significantly different from each other for bingo, blackjack, fixed-odds betting terminals and football pools. The research extends current knowledge of motivations in the UK and recreational gamblers, introducing a new motivational factor – activities indirectly related to gambling – and emphasizing the relationship between gambling motivations and behaviours. Knowledge of motivations assists casino operators in creating effective marketing strategies and aids lawmakers in better understanding the gambling objectives of their citizenry. These motivational dimensions also serve as a baseline against which problematic motivations can be compared.

Keywords:

• gambling
• motivation
• recreation
• leisure
• United Kingdom

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the Rank Group Plc for their support of this project and their continued interest in building relationships between academic research and implemented business practices. The authors had no conflicts of interest to report.

Notes

^1. A list of the scale measurement items is available from the author via request.

Additional information

Funding

This research project received support from the Rank Group Plc, which is the parent company of two licensed gambling operations in the United Kingdom, Mecca Bingo (97 clubs) and Grosvenor Casinos (55 clubs), two licensed unbranded casinos in Belgium and one licensed operation in Spain, Enracha (11 clubs). More detail on their individual operations can be found at their website, http://www.rank.com/.The Rank Group Plc provided two one-off forms of support. The first was non-monetary support in the form of distributing the survey to a randomly selected sample of their loyalty club membership base. The second was monetary support in the form of providing funding for the five £20 amazon.co.uk gift card prizes. The Rank Group Plc placed no restrictions on the research nor on the publication of results.

Notes on contributors

Brett L. Abarbanel

Brett Abarbanel, PhD, is a postdoctoral scholar at the UCLA Gambling Studies Program, where she researches social science applications in gambling. Her current research investigates human response to online gambling site design, individual decision making, and global sociocultural and policy analysis in over 100 jurisdictions worldwide.