Which responsible gambling messages work? Comparing recommendation and corrective strategies

This study examines the effectiveness of two distinct message frames promoting responsible gambling (RG): corrective messages, which challenge gambling-related misconceptions, and recommendation messages, which provide concrete behavioral guidance for safer gambling practices. Using a two-step design, the study employed eye-tracking and self-report measures to assess short-term message persuasion, followed by a 20-day intervention to evaluate changes in long-term gambling-related outcomes, namely cognitive distortions and self-efficacy. The findings indicate that corrective messages attracted greater visual attention in the short-term but were less well recalled and perceived as less persuasive than recommendation messages. However, repeated exposure to corrective messages was associated with more favorable long-term cognitive outcomes, including reductions in erroneous gambling beliefs and improvements in gambling-related self-efficacy. From a policy perspective, these findings suggest that regulatory frameworks should strategically differentiate between recommendation and corrective RG messages based on short-term versus long-term objectives.