Abstract
In the Netherlands, licensed gambling operators have a statutory duty of care and operate within a regulatory framework under governmental oversight. A core component of this duty of care is the obligation to intervene when players exhibit signs of excessive gambling. The first step in this intervention process typically consists of a responsible gambling email, aimed at raising awareness of gambling behaviour and offering practical tools to regain control, such as setting deposit or loss limits and reducing play intensity.
This study examines the effectiveness of different behavioural nudges embedded in such responsible gambling emails. The emails were experimentally varied using behavioural insights, including social norm messaging and positive framing. In addition, the messages differed in their emphasis on immediate behavioural action versus reflective decision-making. Using behavioural data (N > 3.000), we assess which types of messages are most effective in influencing subsequent gambling behaviour.
Our results show clear differences in the effectiveness of the email interventions. Importantly, these effects vary by behavioural outcome: some messages are more effective in reducing gambling intensity, while others are more successful in encouraging the use of responsible gambling tools such as limit setting. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring responsible gambling interventions to specific behavioural goals.
Finally, we reflect on the ethical considerations involved in conducting behavioural research in collaboration with gambling operators. We discuss the balance between harm prevention, behavioural influence, and public responsibility, and outline conditions under which such collaborations can be considered ethically justifiable.