A new study from the University of Nevada at the Las Vegas International Gaming Institute (IGI) suggests that identifying patterns of behavior when people pay for gaming services can eventually support responsible gambling efforts, as it can help detect players at risk. The study was based on data from various payment technologies and software providers.
According to the study, more than 88% of customers showed a pattern of activity that “does not imply unsustainable or harmful behavior.”
Within the remaining 12 percent, the researchers announced that they found a “three clusters of behaviors that can represent customers who are likely to experience damage” payment methods.
When trading payments, each customer’s behavior was explained not only by the frequency, amount, intensity, and volatility of the deposit, but also by the time the deposit was made and how often the deposit was reduced. The researchers then used machine learning algorithms to cluster similar customers together based on these payment behavior indicators.
According to the researchers’ assessment, the smallest group of customers consisting of 1.2% of the sample showed high deposits and withdrawals and fluctuations in deposits.
“Given the high volatility of deposit amounts and overall high net spending, these customers can engage in unsustainable gambling practices,” the statement said
“Understanding how digital transaction data can identify potentially harmful behaviors is important for people to bet responsibly because digital payments have helped fuel the huge growth of online sports betting and online casinos,” Kasra Gaharian, a senior researcher at IGI, said in a statement
Omer Satar, co-CEO and co-founder of Siteline, said the study would serve as a foundation for “building next-generation solutions to help identify customers who may have problems with gambling behavior.”