Between-session chasing of losses and wins in an online eCasino.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This study characterized chasing behaviour as the time to return to an online gambling website after a losing or a winning visit.

METHODS

We analyzed a naturalistic dataset from an eCasino (PlayNow.com, the provincial platform for British Columbia, Canada), comprising 1,909,681 sessions from 15,544 individuals. Analyses distinguished sessions on slot machines, blackjack, roulette, video poker, probability games, or mixed-category sessions.

RESULTS

Overall, gamblers on most games returned more slowly as a function of the prior loss, and more quickly as a function of the prior win. Loss chasing intensities in blackjack, probability, video poker, and mixed sessions did not differ significantly from slot machines, but roulette was associated with shorter intervals to return (b = -0.13, p < 0.001). Similarly, win chasing did not vary across slot machines, blackjack, probability games, and video poker, but roulette (b = -0.08, p < 0.001) and mixed (b = -0.02, p = 0.009) sessions were associated with shorter intervals.

DISCUSSION AND

CONCLUSIONS

The average behavioural patterns provide limited evidence for loss chasing but clearly indicate win chasing. Although slot machines are commonly considered a high-risk product, roulette in our analyses was associated with the greatest chasing intensities.