Information is not enough: pop-up messages are not helpful in preventing excessive gambling

Despite the interest of many governments and gambling companies in implementing responsible gambling policies, the techniques used do not serve to prevent excessive gambling in society. This is because the information provided is necessary, but it is not enough for modifying gambling habits or preventing addiction. Furthermore, once the mental disorder has developed, the main clinical symptoms of gambling disorder are excessive gambling and difficulty in controlling one's gambling. Objective: the objective of this study was to analyze the effect of a dynamic personal message about the consequences of gambling, specifically, the effectiveness of pop-up messages stating the percentage of money lost in a virtual slot machine. Method . In this study, 40 gamblers were observed during online gambling. The independent variable was information about their gambling losses provided via pop-up messages. Results . The main result of the study was that the display of responsible gambling information was associated with no changes in gambling behavior. Discussion . The study presented in this article and the initial theoretical discussion together reveal that the main strategy used to promote responsible gambling, which is to provide truthful information about gambling and its consequences, is not sufficient to prevent excessive gambling and, therefore, gambling addiction in society, or to make people stop gambling, despite their losses. To prevent excessive gambling and, therefore, gambling disorder in society, gambling policies that limit gamblers’ losses must be implemented.