Abstract

Previous research suggested that people with worse self-control are more likely to be problem gamblers. In this paper, we make a distinction between people who have self-control problems and realise that (i.e., those who are sophisticated) and those who do not (i.e. those who are naïve). We measure self-control using Tangney scale. In addition, we adapt the framework of Cobb-Clark et al. (2024) to classify people as sophisticated versus naïve by comparing their self-projections about gambling spend in the next (and previous) 30 days, their ideal spent and their real gambling spend over this period. We explore whether, in line with theoretical prediction, sophisticated gamblers with self-control problems are more likely to use commitment devices and other harm minimization tools offered by gambling industry. Furthermore, we investigate whether sophisticated individuals are less likely to experience gambling harm and in particular what markers of gambling harm relate to which type.