Findings from the Review of BCLCs VSE

Program

Dr. Irwin CohenDr. Amanda McCormick

Previous Studyn = 169 2-Year Follow

Up35%

Violations

Low Counselling

Access

Satisfaction High

GSAs at Enrollments

Psychological Barrier Jackpot Rule

Current Study• Longitudinal– Interviews over 18 Months with VSE

Participants– Low Attrition Rates – 73%

• Qualitative– In-Depth “Violator” Interviews

• Cross-Sectional– VSE Participants versus Non-VSE Gamblers

Program Evaluation• Williams et al. (2007)– Utilization Rates– Percent who refrain from attempting to

re-enter– Impact on overall gambling behaviour

Program Utilization in B.C.

• B.C. Problem Gambling Prevalence Study (2014)– 75% Past-Year Gambling– 3.3% Moderate or High-Risk

• 6% Utilization• Current Study @ T1 (June 2013-March

2014)– n = 326

NON-VSE VERSUS VSE PARTICIPANTS

Demographics and Gambling Behaviours

Samples

350 Non-VSE

Participants

326 VSE Participan

ts

VSE compared to Non-VSEFactor VSE Non-VSE

Female 53% 57%

Age 48 years 51 years

MARITAL STATUS

Single 37% 23%

Married 35% 48%

Divorced 9% 10%

EDUCATION

Less than High School 18% 3%

High School / GED 29% 21%

Some Post-Secondary 54% 75%

EMPLOYMENT & INCOME

Employed 71% 58%

Retired 17% 32%

Under 50k 72% 21%

VSE compared to Non-VSEFactor VSE Non-VSERESIDENCE

Interior 39% 14%

Lower Mainland 45% 65%

LANGUAGE SPOKEN

English 88% 91%

Chinese 5% 2%

Vietnamese 2% 0%

ETHNICITY

Caucasian 75% 77%

First Nations 6% 1%

South Asian 5% 2%

Asian 10% 17%

Past Year Gambling

Never Daily Few Times/Week

Once/Week

Few Times/Month

Once/Month

Few Times/Year

0% 2%

16% 20% 21%11%

29%

1%10%

50%

14% 17%

3% 5%

Non-VSE VSE

Forms of Past Year Gambling

Slots

Table

Video P

oker

Spor

ts

Horse

sKen

oBing

o

Stoc

ksLo

tto

61%

27%19%

11% 9%22% 19% 19%

91%80%

39%

7% 7% 4%

28%11% 5%

72%

Non-VSE VSE

Land-Based Gambling Behaviours

VSE Non-VSE

# Different Gaming Venues 3 2

Amount Gambled $569 $90

Max. Amount Lost $1570 $100

Time Gambled 4.2 Hours 2 Hours

Online Gambling Behaviours

VSE Non-VSE

Ever Gambled Online 20% 26%

Amount Gambled $319 $86

Max. Amount Lost $1260 $63

Time Gambled 2.6 Hours 1.7 Hours

Attempts to Stop Gambling

4% 2% 4% 4% 7%

87%

36%22%15% 13%

26%2% 13%

72% 75%54%

16%

Non-VSE (n=45) VSE (n=272)

PGSI

1 12

Risk of Gambling Problems

No Risk Low Risk Moderate Risk Problem Gambling

66%

18%11%

5%3% 3%

21%

74%

Non-VSE VSE

Reasons for Not Enrolling – Non-VSE Moderate/Problem Gamblers

Don't

have p

roblem

Never

thou

ght abou

t it

Embar

rass

ing

Never

needed

time o

ut

Didn't wan

t to s

top

Priva

cy co

ncern

s

Never

heard

of V

SE

Worrie

d abou

t opinion

s

Force

d to get

tx

Ente

r cas

ino oth

erwise

6m to

o lon

g

Didn't under

stand pro

gram

Worrie

d abou

t job

impac

t

Worrie

d abou

t pen

alties

Never

got ar

ound to

it

Used an

other

suppor

t

Jackp

ot ru

le

59%

22%19%17%17%15%11%11%7% 7% 7% 7% 6% 6% 6% 6% 4%

Reasons for Gambling83%

11% 13% 10% 8% 11%40% 28% 38%

89%

38% 42%25% 21%

58%80%

58% 46%

Non-VSE VSE

83%

11% 13% 10% 8% 11%40% 28% 38%

89%

38% 42%25% 21%

58%80%

58% 46%

Non-VSE VSE

Reasons for Gambling

Negative Effects of Gambling

Marital Life

Family Life

Work Social Life Mood Finances

1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.5 1.5

2.3 2.4

1.7

2.4

3.4 3.6

Non-VSE VSE

Negative Effects of Gambling

Marital Life

Family Life

Work Social Life Mood Finances

1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.5 1.5

2.3 2.4

1.7

2.4

3.4 3.6

Non-VSE VSE

Predicting Enrollment Status

Exp (B)

PGSI Score 1.58

Step 2

PGSI Score 1.61

Income > 50k .14

Interior 2.8

Caucasian 3.1

Strategies to Increase Enrollment

• GameSense Advisors Have PGSI Available

• Security Distribute PGSIs• Distribute Pamphlets and Encourage

“Trial Run”

TIME 1 FINDINGSWithin 1 Month…

VSE ENROLLMENT

Length of Enrollment

6 months 1 year 2 years 3 years

31%29%

7%

33%

Rating of Enrollment Experience

Sensitivity

to N

eeds

Understanding

Feel C

omfortable

Read Entire Contract

Explained Contra

ct

Ensured Rules U

nderstood

Gave Info re

: Counsellin

g

Asked about Counsellin

g

Encouraged Counsellin

g

Explained Consequence

s

Recommended Enro

lment L

ength0%

20%40%60%80%

100%

Security Alone Security w/GSA GSA

PROGRAM’S EFFECTS ON GAMBLING BEHAVIOURS

Any Gambling While Excluded

Time 2 Time 3

87%

83%

Violations (%)

Time 1 Time 2 Time 30%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Agreement Violators at T2• 97% reported successfully re-

entering on at least one attempt• 67% went to different casino• 46% were caught in past 6 months

Reasons for Violating

80% 74% 69% 62%46% 41% 31%

18%

Marital Status• Violators More Likely Single (53% vs

35%) or Common Law (20% vs 9%)• Non-Violators More Likely Married

(40% vs 20%) or Divorced (10% vs 5%)

Percent of PGSI Group who Violated(n = 270)

No Problem Low Level Moderate Problem Gambling

7% 6%

15%

45%

Average PGSI

Time 1 Time 2 Time 3

11.9

3.1 2.5

13.4

9.8

7.1

Non-Violator Violator

QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WITH VIOLATORS

Most Significant Reason for Violating

Need $

or to

Win

$

Bore

dom

Addict

ed to

Gam

bling

Excit

emen

t

Stre

ss

Socia

lize

Peer P

ress

ure

Out of

Town

To Bea

t VSE

To Es

cape

Proble

ms

10

6 6 5 4 3 3 2 1 1

Strategies Used to Avoid Being Caught27

12 116 4

What Would Stop Violations

Mandatory ID Checks

Nothing - It's a Personal Choice

Increasing Fines

Arrest for Trespassing

14

7 6

1

Non-Violators90% 90%

59% 57% 56% 55% 51% 49% 46%

PROGRAM’S EFFECTS ON PROBLEM GAMBLING SYMPTOMS

Total PGSI

Time 1 Time 2 Time 30

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

PGSI Elements Over the 3 Time Periods

Time 1 Time 2 Time 30.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

Bet more than could afford to loseNeeded to gamble with larger amounts for same excitementGo back another day to try and win back lost moneyBorrowed money or sold something for money to gambleFelt you might have a problem with gamblingGambling caused health problemsPeople criticized your betting or told you you had a problemGambling caused financial problems*

CONNECTION TO COUNSELLING

Counselling Access Past 6m

T2 15%T3 12%

What’s Related to Access?

Access No Access

PGSI at Time 1* 16.5 11.3

PGSI at Time 2 6.3 3.7

Violations 22.5% 14%

Consent and Access to Counselling

Overall GSA Present No GSA

31%37%

27%

51%

66%

42%

Consented Accessed

Reasons for Accessing Counselling (n = 96)

Gambling Problem Owed it to Others Needed It Pressured Demonstration Thought Mandatory

90%

65%55%

15% 13% 9%

Reasons for Avoiding Counselling84%

37% 35%29%

21% 19% 17%9% 7% 7% 3%

Reasons for No Counselling x PGSINo

ProblemLow/Mod Problem

Wanted to Deal with it Myself 60% 86% 83%Didn’t Think it Could Help 20% 18% 42%Don’t Think I have a Problem 60% 51% 32%Didn’t have Time for it 40% 19% 32%Didn’t Want Others to Know 0% 16% 24%Too Ashamed to Talk to Anyone 0% 13% 22%Thought Others Would Make Fun 0% 8% 9%Didn’t Think They’d Speak My Language

20% 6% 6%

Couldn’t Afford It 0% 10% 6%Didn’t Know It was Available 0% 2% 3%

Other Supports

Family

Frien

ds

Other

Gam

blers

PG Cou

nsell

or

MH Tx

Finan

cial C

ouns

elling

Other

Couns

elling GA

Subs

tanc

e Use

Tx

Religio

us Fi

gure

GameS

ense

Adviso

r

GamTa

lk

Marita

l Cou

nsell

ing

PG H

elplin

e

Church

Gro

up

30%27%

13%11% 9%5% 5% 3% 3% 3% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1%

PROGRAM SATISFACTION

Program Satisfaction

93%94%

I Would Recommend VSE to Others

1.3%

1.3%

30.1%

66.9%

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

Increase Effectiveness?• Facial Recognition – 92%• 5 Year Enrolment Option – 85%• Mandatory ID Check at Entrance – 83%• Advertise the program outside of casinos – 81%• Have Someone from BCLC Call Before Exclusion

Ends to Ask about Reenrollment – 80%• Enforcement of Penalties for Violations – 79%• Re-enrolling over the phone – 78%

Major Findings• Low Rate of Violation Attempts• Substantial Reduction in Problem

Gambling Symptoms• Low Rates of Counselling Access• High Rates of Program Satisfaction

Program Recommendations

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