Findings on the B.C. Lottery Corporation (BCLC) voluntary self-exclusion program Dr. Amanda McCormick, University of the Fraser Valley Presented at the New Horizons in Responsible Gambling Conference in Vancouver, February 1-3, 2016

2. Findings from the Review of
BCLCs VSE Program
Dr. Irwin Cohen
Dr. Amanda McCormick

3. Previous Study
n = 169
2-Year Follow
Up
35% Violations
Low
Counselling
Access
Satisfaction
High
GSAs at
Enrollments
Psychological
Barrier
Jackpot Rule

4. 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

5. Program Evaluation
• Williams et al. (2007)
– Utilization Rates
– Percent who refrain from attempting to re-enter
– Impact on overall gambling behaviour

6. 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

7. NON-VSE VERSUS VSE PARTICIPANTS
Demographics and Gambling Behaviours

8. Samples
350 Non-VSE
Participants
326 VSE
Participants

9. 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%

10. VSE compared to Non-VSEFactor VSE Non-VSE
RESIDENCE
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%

11. Past Year Gambling
0% 2%
16% 20% 21%
11%
29%
1%
10%
50%
14% 17%
3% 5%
Non-VSE VSE

12. Forms of Past Year
Gambling
61%
27%
19%
11% 9%
22% 19% 19%
91%
80%
39%
7% 7% 4%
28%
11%
5%
72%
Slots Table Video
Poker
Sports Horses Keno Bingo Stocks Lotto

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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)

16. PGSI
1 12

17. Risk of Gambling Problems
66%
18%
11%
5%3% 3%
21%
74%
No Risk Low Risk Moderate Risk Problem Gambling
Non-VSE VSE

18. Reasons for Not Enrolling – Non-
VSE Moderate/Problem Gamblers
59%
22%19%17%17%15%
11% 11%
7% 7% 7% 7% 6% 6% 6% 6% 4%

19. Reasons for Gambling
83%
11% 13% 10% 8% 11%
40%
28%
38%
89%
38% 42%
25% 21%
58%
80%
58%
46%
Non-VSE VSE

20. 83%
11% 13% 10% 8% 11%
40%
28%
38%
89%
38% 42%
25% 21%
58%
80%
58%
46%
Non-VSE VSE
Reasons for Gambling

21. Negative Effects of
Gambling
1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3
1.5 1.5
2.3 2.4
1.7
2.4
3.4
3.6
Marital Life Family Life Work Social Life Mood Finances
Non-VSE VSE

22. Negative Effects of
Gambling
1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3
1.5 1.5
2.3 2.4
1.7
2.4
3.4
3.6
Marital Life Family Life Work Social Life Mood Finances
Non-VSE VSE

23. Predicting Enrollment Status
Exp (B)
PGSI Score 1.58
Step 2
PGSI Score 1.61
Income > 50k .14
Interior 2.8
Caucasian 3.1

24. Strategies to Increase Enrollment
• GameSense Advisors Have PGSI Available
• Security Distribute PGSIs
• Distribute Pamphlets and Encourage “Trial
Run”

25. TIME 1 FINDINGS
Within 1 Month…

26. VSE ENROLLMENT

27. Length of Enrollment
31%
29%
7%
33%
6 months 1 year 2 years 3 years

28. Rating of Enrollment Experience
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Security Alone Security w/GSA GSA

29. PROGRAM’S EFFECTS ON
GAMBLING BEHAVIOURS

30. Any Gambling While Excluded
87%
83%
Time 2 Time 3

31. Violations (%)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Time 1 Time 2 Time 3

32. 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

33. Reasons for Violating
80%
74%
69%
62%
46%
41%
31%
18%

34. 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%)

35. Percent of PGSI Group who Violated
(n = 270)
7% 6%
15%
45%
No Problem Low Level Moderate Problem
Gambling

36. Average PGSI
11.9
3.1 2.5
13.4
9.8
7.1
Time 1 Time 2 Time 3
Non-Violator Violator

37. QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WITH
VIOLATORS

38. Most Significant Reason for
Violating
10
6 6
5
4
3 3
2
1 1

39. Strategies Used to Avoid Being
Caught27
12 11
6
4
Visited a
Different
Casino
Did Nothing Wore a
Disguise
Played a
different game
or lower stakes
Avoided
Casino Parking
Lot

40. What Would Stop Violations
14
7
6
1
Mandatory ID
Checks
Nothing - It's a
Personal Choice
Increasing Fines Arrest for
Trespassing

41. Non-Violators
90% 90%
59% 57% 56% 55% 51% 49% 46%

42. PROGRAM’S EFFECTS ON PROBLEM
GAMBLING SYMPTOMS

43. Total PGSI
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Time 1 Time 2 Time 3

44. PGSI Elements Over the 3 Time
Periods
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
Time 1 Time 2 Time 3
Bet more than could afford to lose Needed to gamble with larger amounts for same excitement
Go back another day to try and win back lost money Borrowed money or sold something for money to gamble
Felt you might have a problem with gambling Gambling caused health problems
People criticized your betting or told you you had a problem Gambling caused financial problems*
Felt guilty about gambling or what happens when you gamble* Claimed to be winning money gambling but weren’t
Hidden betting slips or other signs of gambling Lost time from work or school due to gambling

45. CONNECTION TO COUNSELLING

46. Counselling Access Past 6m
T2 15%
T3 12%

47. 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%

48. Consent and Access to
Counselling
31%
37%
27%
51%
66%
42%
Overall GSA Present No GSA
Consented Accessed

49. Reasons for Accessing Counselling
(n = 96)
90%
65%
55%
15% 13%
9%
Gambling Problem Owed it to Others Needed It Pressured Demonstration Thought Mandatory

50. Reasons for Avoiding Counselling
84%
37% 35%
29%
21% 19% 17%
9% 7% 7%
3%
Deal with it
Myself
Don't Have
Problem
Couldn't
Help
No Time Keep
Gambling
Private
Too
Ashamed
Other Feared
Being
Made Fun
Of
Language
Barrier
Can't
Afford
Didn't
Know

51. Reasons for No Counselling x PGSI
No Problem Low/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%

52. Other Supports30%
27%
13% 11% 9%
5% 5% 3% 3% 3% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1%

53. PROGRAM SATISFACTION

54. Program Satisfaction
93%
94%

55. I Would Recommend VSE to
Others
1.3%
1.3%
30.1%
66.9%
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

56. 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%

57. Major Findings
• Low Rate of Violation Attempts
• Substantial Reduction in Problem Gambling
Symptoms
• Low Rates of Counselling Access
• High Rates of Program Satisfaction

58. Program
Recommendations

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