An experiment study on gambling behaviour

Last registered on October 17, 2023
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
An experiment study on gambling behaviour
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0012274
Initial registration date
October 10, 2023

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
October 17, 2023, 11:48 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Australia
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Liqing Chen
Affiliation
University of Technology Sdyney
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Hanlin Lou
PI Affiliation
University of New South Wales
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2023-10-13
End date
2023-11-03
Keywords
Behavior, Gender, Other
Additional Keywords
Gambling
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Online gambling typically necessitates the use of personal bank accounts for both depositing and withdrawing funds. Although deposits can be executed promptly, withdrawals often entail a processing delay, typically spanning several hours to days. This asymmetry in mechanisms, favouring instant deposits while imposing a waiting period for withdrawals, appears to create additional barriers for individuals attempting to overcome gambling problems. This paper aims to investigate the impact of withdrawal barriers on gambling behaviour
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Chen, Liqing and Hanlin Lou. 2023. "An experiment study on gambling behaviour." AEA RCT Registry. October 17. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.12274-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The experiment involves two stages and has one intervention at each stage.
For the first stage: Different allocation of endowment
For the second stage: Different withdrawal process
Intervention Start Date
2023-10-13
Intervention End Date
2023-11-03

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
For the first stage: The amount of bet recorded.
For the second stage: The proportion of transfer from the "Game" to the "Transaction"; The amount of that transfer; The total remaining balance at the end of this stage.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The experiment involves two stages.

In the first stage, participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. Within each group, they are provided with two separate accounts, each initially endowed with a certain number of credits. The total endowment of credits is equal in both groups, but the allocation of credits differs between the two accounts for the two groups. Participants are instructed to decide how many credits they want to use for a single round of a game.

In the second stage, all participants receive two accounts with an identical total endowment and credit allocation. They are then randomly divided into two groups: a control group and a treatment group. Both groups are asked to participate in four rounds of a game, during which they must decide whether to transfer credits between their two accounts and determine the amount of credits to transfer. In the control group, transfers in both directions are task-free. For the treatment group, one direction of credit transfer is task-free, while transfers in the other direction require participants to perform a time-costly task."

Experimental Design Details
The experiment involves two stages.

In the first stage, participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. Within each group, they are provided with two separate accounts denoted as “Transaction” and “Game”, each initially endowed with a certain number of credits. The total credit endowment is the same at 500 credits for both groups, but the allocation of credits differs between these two accounts in each group. The “Transaction” and “Game” accounts are introduced to serve distinct purposes for participants. Credits in the “Transaction” account is used for cash payment redemption at the end, while credits in the “Game” account are intended for participation in the game. It is important to note that transfers from the “Transaction” account to the “Game” account are allowed. Participants are explicitly instructed to determine the number of credits from their “Game” account that they wish to stake for a single round of the game.
At the end of this stage, any remaining credits in the "Game" account are automatically transferred to the "Transaction" account for the purpose of cash payment redemption.

In the second stage, all participants receive two accounts, denoted as “Transaction” and “Game”, with an identical total endowment and credit allocation. The purpose of these two accounts is reintroduced, but with an altered feature specific to the “Game” account. In this stage, all credits within the “Game” account are designated for participation in the game, necessitating participants to transfer credits into or out of the “Game” account to determine the final betting amount for the game.
Subsequently, participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups: a control group and a treatment group. Both groups are tasked with participating in four rounds of the game, during which they must make decisions regarding credit transfers between their two accounts and determine the quantity of credits to be transferred. In the control group, transfers in both directions are task-free. In the treatment group, however, transferring from the “Transaction” account into the “Game” account incurs no additional requirements, whereas transfers in the opposite direction require participants to complete a time-costly task. Specifically, participants must undertake the task of arranging twelve 3-digit numbers in ascending order before specifying the credit amount for the transfer out of the “Game” account.
At the end of this stage, any remaining credits in the "Game" account are automatically transferred to the "Transaction" account for the purpose of cash payment redemption.
Randomization Method
The randomization process is conducted by the survey engine.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
500 individuals
Sample size: planned number of observations
500 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
250 control and 250 treatment
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
The UTS Behavioural Lab Ethics Program Approval/The UTS Human Research Ethics Committee
IRB Approval Date
2023-07-04
IRB Approval Number
ETH23-8040
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials