Multidimensional loss chasing among online sports gamblers: Assessing the moderating effects of starting behaviors on harm prediction

Background and aims: Loss chasing is a defining marker of problematic gambling however its relationship with gambling harms could be meaningfully influenced by other behaviors such as overall levels of involvement (i.e., average stake size, numbers of bets placed). Methods: We employed a multidimensional concept of loss chasing that measures positive deviations from one's average on three betting domains (bet size, betting odds, time between bets) while experiencing daily losses. We used actual sports betting records (N = 33,156) from a large European gambling operator (bwin). We used subgroup analysis to determine whether initial gambling involvement behaviors (i.e., numbers of bets placed and average stake size during one's first month of activity) affect the relationship between initial loss chasing behaviors and potential harm (i.e., loss trajectory [mounting losses], voluntary self-exclusion [VSE]). Results: In terms of the VSE outcome, loss chasing effects were more likely to be significant, or otherwise stronger, among bettors with initially high bet size but not among bettors with initially high number of bets. Starting behaviors did not have an appreciable influence on the relationship between loss chasing and loss trajectory. Discussion and Conclusions: Loss chasing effects could more readily translate to harm, in terms of VSE, for higher stakes bettors. Predictive analytics for problematic sports betting should consider separate risk algorithms based on bettors' initial average stakes.