Gambling play tends to moderate after a PGSI self-test: Evidence from OLG data

Session Title

Responsible Gambling: Tools & Self-Assessment

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation

Start Date

26-5-2026 12:00 AM

Abstract

OLG is a large Canadian multi-vertical gambling operator. OLG partnered with Playtech Protect during 2023/24 to analyse the gambling activity of 1972 players in the week before and after they voluntarily took a self-test, the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Gambling frequency declined after a self-test, particularly for problem gamblers. For instance, in the seven days after a self-test, 26% of players with moderate or problem gambler (“PG”) ratings gambled 2+ fewer days than the week leading up to the self-test, compared to 7% who gambled 2+ more days. All other groups also saw a net reduction in gambling frequency, with lower rates of reduction for lower risk groups. When they did play, total wagers and losses also decreased more than they increased, especially for problem gamblers. The results are promising for the value of self-test as part of an RG strategy, but further work is needed to specify causal relationships with greater confidence, to disentangle other activities that accompany high PGSI scores (e.g. OLG automatically excludes high risk players from targeted marketing promotions), and to identify whether moderation would be just as strong for self-tests that are proactively encouraged as part of a customer intervention strategy. This presentation will also share OLG’s latest framework for promoting safer gambling, informed by research to differentiate types of high risk players to underpin escalating intervention strategies.

Author Bios

Richard Bayliss is Director of Product Compliance and Safer Gambling at Playtech, responsible for regulatory strategy and compliance oversight, with a strong emphasis on responsible gambling and safer play initiatives. Before joining Playtech, he was at the British Gambling Commission, where he spent more than a decade developing online gambling regulation, assessing the impact of technological innovation on regulatory frameworks and collaborating with international regulators.

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May 26th, 12:00 AM

Gambling play tends to moderate after a PGSI self-test: Evidence from OLG data

OLG is a large Canadian multi-vertical gambling operator. OLG partnered with Playtech Protect during 2023/24 to analyse the gambling activity of 1972 players in the week before and after they voluntarily took a self-test, the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Gambling frequency declined after a self-test, particularly for problem gamblers. For instance, in the seven days after a self-test, 26% of players with moderate or problem gambler (“PG”) ratings gambled 2+ fewer days than the week leading up to the self-test, compared to 7% who gambled 2+ more days. All other groups also saw a net reduction in gambling frequency, with lower rates of reduction for lower risk groups. When they did play, total wagers and losses also decreased more than they increased, especially for problem gamblers. The results are promising for the value of self-test as part of an RG strategy, but further work is needed to specify causal relationships with greater confidence, to disentangle other activities that accompany high PGSI scores (e.g. OLG automatically excludes high risk players from targeted marketing promotions), and to identify whether moderation would be just as strong for self-tests that are proactively encouraged as part of a customer intervention strategy. This presentation will also share OLG’s latest framework for promoting safer gambling, informed by research to differentiate types of high risk players to underpin escalating intervention strategies.