Online gambling addiction and problem gambling
Gambling addictions are spreading throughout society with the boom in on-line betting, fuelled by ubiquitous TV and billboard advertising.
Fri, 21 Feb 2014 14:35:00 GMT
Professor examines the UK’s urge to have an online flutter
THE boom in on-line betting, fuelled by ubiquitous TV and billboard advertising, is spreading the gambling habit throughout society, argues a new University of Huddersfield professor who uses her expertise at economics to address key social and health issues.
Throughout her career, Professor Lisa Farrell has researched gaming and gambling, including the UK’s National Lottery – her PhD subject. On her return to the UK after several years based in Australia, in order to take up a post as Professor of Business Economics at the University of Huddersfield’s Business School, she has identified the rise of on-line betting as an intriguing area for investigation.
It is leading, she says, to the “gentrification” of bookmaker gambling and as a graphic illustration she cites a current TV commercial showing a smart professional couple returning to their flat after work and immediately beginning to lay bets using their tablets and smartphones.
“The growth in on-line gambling is an interesting phenomenon. I want to know what has caused it and what triggers people to participate,” said Professor Farrell.
On-line gambling is not “venue driven”, said Professor Farrell. “Why and where do people do this? Do they do it on the bus, or at home while watching sports on TV? Are they even watching the sport? From a research perspective, not much is known about this, so from a policy perspective we cannot utilise information to help people protect themselves from excessive consumption.”
For her research into the subject, Professor Farrell will draw on data such as the highly-detailed surveys issued by the UK Government-backed Gambling Commission. Whatever her area of research, she aims to work with agencies, so that her findings can have a practical social application.
“I want to make sure that what we do has impact. A reason for wanting to map and understand behaviour is to raise awareness of problems, so that people can either self-regulate or government can introduce harm-minimisation policies.”
Alcohol, smoking and inactivity
In Melbourne, where she was Professor of Economics at the RMIT University, she collaborated with the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation on a project that resulted in an inter-active web page enabling visitors to analyse and challenge their relationship with alcohol.
Professor Farrell has also participated in a major project to analyse a million responses to a Sport England survey. She conducted an immensely detailed analysis of people and social groups whose levels of inactivity endanger their health.
She has also researched and published her findings on the health implications of the size of cigarette packets. Whereas the EU has moved towards a ban on the sale of packets of ten – so that minors are less able to make a purchase – Professor Farrell has concluded that larger packet sizes can actually increase levels of smoking. This is because addicted smokers will tend to puff their way through whatever they have to hand, and it might be a packet of 30 or 50 cigarettes.
“Potentially, therefore, one way of reducing smoking is to allow people to regulate the quantities in which they buy cigarettes, allowing them to regulate consumption,” said Professor Farrell.
Health economist
She was born in York and her University of Huddersfield post brings her back to the UK after 12 years overseas, in Ireland and Australia.
“Predominantly, I am a health economist and the health sector is one of the largest in the economy. What I do is try to turn scientific and behavioural knowledge into economic policies around health and health promotion.”
Professor Farrell is one of several new academic appointees who will build up the study of economics at the University of Huddersfield’s Business School. An MSc course is under way, to be followed by a BSc in the next academic year.
New students of economics soon develop an understanding of the wider relevance of the field, according to Professor Farrell, who teaches econometrics plus mathematical and statistical modelling to Master’s students.
“When students come in they think of economics as predominantly around finance and banking, but as they move forward they start to see that micro-economics – including aspects of household behaviour, the allocation of resources and an understanding of human behaviour – is central to an understanding of macro-economics.
“When you think about the global financial crisis, for example, it is only by understanding investor behaviour that you understand how it happened. Linking the micro to the macro is very important and as students start to see this, itbroadens their horizon of what economics is about. We don’t just forecast inflation!”
