The government of Canada’s Alberta province has funded a study which suggests that so- called “safety features” in video gaming machines may not actually have the intended effect.
The features, which are part of an attempt to control problem gambling, include an on- screen money counter which tracks how much the gambler has spent during the session.
The study, which has not been concluded in its entirety, so far suggests that the features, while useful in helping gamblers keep track of their spending, do not actually alter the amount of time gamblers spend at the machines, nor do they change the amount of money gamblers win or lose.
Researchers cautioned that conclusions should not be gleaned from these partial results. The study, which began in 2002, will not be fully complete until 2007.
The Alberta, Manitoba and Nova Scotia provinces are experimenting with all kinds of tools to tackle the ever- expanding problem of problem gambling. |
