Comparing Prevention pop-up messages with Mandatory time limit for gambling
Official title: Prevention Messages for EGMs: Effects on Behaviours and Cognitions
Messages de prévention Sur Les Appareils de Loterie vidéo : Effets Sur Les Comportements et Les Cognitions [Prevention Messages for Electronic Gambling Machines: Effects on Behaviours and Cognitions]
- 2 groups
- One site, in Québec
- Recruiting
Interventions (5)
- Behavioural therapy
Prevention pop-up messages
Messages are shown full screen on the EGM's play screen on a fixed presentation schedule. Clock of the gambling session starts the first time the participant puts money in the EGM. From this event, messages are shown at those timepoints: \[1\] +10 minutes; \[2\] +40 minutes; \[3\] +70 minutes; \[4\] +100 minutes. Messages block the screen for 15 seconds before automatically closing. Up to 4 different messages are presented during the gambling session. Order is determined by sortition without replacement. Messages have a warning heading "Caution!". Content is, from top to bottom: (a) time spent gambling from beginning; (b) warning that gambling could lead to serious monetary loss; (c) 1 of 4 self-appraisal phrases about current gambling behaviour; (d) advice to the participant that a break could help choose what is best for them; (e) countdown before the message closes itself; (f) Health department logo is shown in the lower right corner as a more "neutral" endorsement of the messages.
- Behavioural therapy
Mandatory time limit
Activated either when (a) the previous time limit is up; or (b) the player bank meter reaches $0. When the previous time limit is up, a pop-up takes up the upper third of the play screen and requires the player to set a new time limit using one of five choice buttons (four firsts buttons: 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes; fifth button: cash out, which prints a receipt and ends the gambling session). As the EGM cannot track who is playing, there are no limits on consecutive gambling sessions. When the player's bank meter reaches $0, the the pop-up described above appears as soon as new money is inserted in the EGM, no matter if the previous time limit is up or not.
- Behavioural therapy
Responsible gambling information
Located in a submenu accessed through a button on the main touch screen. This open a window which contains basic information on randomness and responsible gambling advice. The information is presented in small white font on a black background.
- Medical device
Electronic gambling machine (model IGT GL20)
EGM model currently in use in Quebec, Canada, the location where this study is conducted. The EGMs used in this study are fully functional and unaltered except for the presentation of prevention pop-up messages in the experimental arm of this study. These machines are equipped with basics responsible gambling features, the two main ones described in this section (i.e. "Mandatory time limit"; "Responsible gambling information"). Wins/losses sequence is fully randomized and not determined beforehand.
- Medical device
Square terminal
This terminal allows for buying non-alcoholic beverages (soft drinks or coffee) and chips during the experimentation. This is done to enhance the realism of the bar setting. It also allows for real cash withdrawal from bank account during gambling session. Quebec's code of conduct for EGMs commercialization prohibits retailers from having an ATM near their EGMs, and prohibits them from lending money to consumers or withdrawing cash for them to gamble. However, this rule is not always followed in practice. For this study, participants will be allowed to withdraw from their bank account, at the bar counter, if they ask for it. However, this will not be offered to them upfront.
Canadian Sites (1)
1 of 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Centre québécois d'excellence pour la prévention et le traitement du jeu
Québec
Eligibility Criteria
See who this study is looking for6 criteria
The trial’s own eligibility text, word for word from the registry. Only the trial site can say who takes part.
Inclusion
- +At least 18 years old (legal age to gamble in Quebec, Canada, where the study is conducted)
- +Functional literacy in french (study is conducted in french and requires reading and understanding simple texts)
- +Having played EGMs and least once every two weeks for the past 12 months
Exclusion
- −Classified as a probable pathological gambler (score ≥ 8 on the PGSI)
- −Currently receiving treatment for problem gambling
- −Currently under self-exclusionExclusion criteriaThe things that would prevent someone from taking part.Read more → from gambling venues
In plain language
Assembled directly from this trial’s registry record. Every sentence traces to a field below — nothing here is generated or interpreted.
What this study is
This study is testing a way to prevent a condition from developing.
This study is not organised into the usual phase numbers — that is common for device, behavioural, and diagnostic research.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.primaryPurpose
- designModule.phases
Who receives what
There are 2 groups in this study.
Group A receives Prevention pop-up messages, together with one or more of: Mandatory time limit, Responsible gambling information, Electronic gambling machine (model IGT GL20) and Square terminal.
Registry label: A: Prevention pop-up messages
Group B, the comparison group, receives one or more of: Mandatory time limit, Responsible gambling information, Electronic gambling machine (model IGT GL20) and Square terminal.
Registry label: B: Regular gambling session control
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].label
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
How the study is run
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
One group of people involved — usually the participants — is not told which treatment is which.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
Is there a placebo?
This study does not list a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group.
One group receives an existing treatment, so the two can be compared.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
Who the study is looking for
The study lists a minimum age of 18 years, with no upper limit given.
The study is open to people of any sex.
The study accepts healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more → as well as people with the condition.
These are the criteria the study lists. Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How big and how long
The study aims to enrol about 80 people.
The study is currently expected to finish around February 2026.
The main measurement is taken over: Assessed at the end gambling session in the laboratory (Post-experiment phase). Session's length is decided by participant (but limited to 2 hours maximum).
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures
Gambling behaviour (between group) - Gambling session's total duration — measured over Assessed at the end gambling session in the laboratory (Post-experiment phase). Session's length is decided by participant (but limited to 2 hours maximum).
Gambling behaviour (between group) - Total time effectively spent gambling — measured over Assessed at the end gambling session in the laboratory (Post-experiment phase). Session's length is decided by participant (but limited to 2 hours maximum).
Gambling behaviour (between group) - Number of breaks taken — measured over Assessed at the end gambling session in the laboratory (Post-experiment phase). Session's length is decided by participant (but limited to 2 hours maximum).
Gambling behaviour (between group) - Mean breaks' duration — measured over Assessed at the end gambling session in the laboratory (Post-experiment phase). Session's length is decided by participant (but limited to 2 hours maximum).
The study lists 16 further main measurements.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
Source: NCT06341504 on ClinicalTrials.gov. The full registry text is further down this page — this summary never replaces it.
Not medical advice. What do these terms mean?
What is being tested — in plain terms
About Prevention pop-up messagesBehavioural
Messages are shown full screen on the EGM's play screen on a fixed presentation schedule. Clock of the gambling session starts the first time the participant puts money in the EGM. From this event, messages are shown at those timepoints: \[1\] +10 minutes; \[2\] +40 minutes; \[3\] +70 minutes; \[4\] +100 minutes. Messages block the screen for 15 seconds before automatically closing. Up to 4 different messages are presented during the gambling session. Order is determined by sortition without replacement. Messages have a warning heading "Caution!". Content is, from top to bottom: (a) time spent gambling from beginning; (b) warning that gambling could lead to serious monetary loss; (c) 1 of 4 self-appraisal phrases about current gambling behaviour; (d) advice to the participant that a break could help choose what is best for them; (e) countdown before the message closes itself; (f) Health department logo is shown in the lower right corner as a more "neutral" endorsement of the messages.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a behavioural is here: A programme, therapy, education, or lifestyle approach being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About Mandatory time limitBehavioural
Activated either when (a) the previous time limit is up; or (b) the player bank meter reaches $0. When the previous time limit is up, a pop-up takes up the upper third of the play screen and requires the player to set a new time limit using one of five choice buttons (four firsts buttons: 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes; fifth button: cash out, which prints a receipt and ends the gambling session). As the EGM cannot track who is playing, there are no limits on consecutive gambling sessions. When the player's bank meter reaches $0, the the pop-up described above appears as soon as new money is inserted in the EGM, no matter if the previous time limit is up or not.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a behavioural is here: A programme, therapy, education, or lifestyle approach being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About Responsible gambling informationBehavioural
Located in a submenu accessed through a button on the main touch screen. This open a window which contains basic information on randomness and responsible gambling advice. The information is presented in small white font on a black background.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a behavioural is here: A programme, therapy, education, or lifestyle approach being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About Electronic gambling machine (model IGT GL20)Device
EGM model currently in use in Quebec, Canada, the location where this study is conducted. The EGMs used in this study are fully functional and unaltered except for the presentation of prevention pop-up messages in the experimental arm of this study. These machines are equipped with basics responsible gambling features, the two main ones described in this section (i.e. "Mandatory time limit"; "Responsible gambling information"). Wins/losses sequence is fully randomized and not determined beforehand.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a device is here: A physical instrument, implant, app or piece of equipment being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About Square terminalDevice
This terminal allows for buying non-alcoholic beverages (soft drinks or coffee) and chips during the experimentation. This is done to enhance the realism of the bar setting. It also allows for real cash withdrawal from bank account during gambling session. Quebec's code of conduct for EGMs commercialization prohibits retailers from having an ATM near their EGMs, and prohibits them from lending money to consumers or withdrawing cash for them to gamble. However, this rule is not always followed in practice. For this study, participants will be allowed to withdraw from their bank account, at the bar counter, if they ask for it. However, this will not be offered to them upfront.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a device is here: A physical instrument, implant, app or piece of equipment being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
Common questions
Answered from this trial’s registry record. Where the record doesn’t say, these answers say so rather than filling the gap.
Am I eligible for this trial?
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part. Concord cannot make that determination, and neither can any tool that has not examined you.
What the study lists: a minimum age of 18 years.
The full inclusionInclusion criteriaThe things you must have or be for a study to consider you.Read more → and exclusion criteriaExclusion criteriaThe things that would prevent someone from taking part.Read more → are published on this page, exactly as the study team wrote them.
The useful next step is to bring this trial to your doctor. Answering a few questions first gives them something concrete to review.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.eligibilityCriteria
Is there a placebo?
This study does not list a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group.
One group receives an existing treatment so the two can be compared.
From the trial registry
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Would I know which treatment I am getting?
One group of people involved — usually the participants — is not told which treatment is which.
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
From the trial registry
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
Who can join?
The study lists a minimum age of 18 years, with no upper limit given.
It is open to people of any sex.
It accepts healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more → as well as people with the condition.
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can confirm whether a particular person can take part.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How long would this take?
The study's main measurement is taken over: Assessed at the end gambling session in the laboratory (Post-experiment phase). Session's length is decided by participant (but limited to 2 hours maximum)..
The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2026-02.
How long any one person takes part can differ from the study length. The study team can tell you what the schedule looks like in practice.
From the trial registry
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
How many people are taking part?
The study aims to enrol about 80 people.
From the trial registry
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
Where is this happening?
This study lists one location: Québec, Canada.
Sites can open and close during a study, so confirm with the team before travelling.
From the trial registry
- trial_locations
About This Trial
The goals of this randomized controlled trial are to test the manifold effects of prevention pop-up messages on participants' behaviours, cognitions and affects. This study is conducted among regular EGMs' players (defined as having played EGMs at least once every two weeks for the past 12 months) who are not classified as probable pathological gamblers by the PGSI. After answering a series of short questionnaires by phone, participants are asked to schedule a gambling session which is done in a laboratory on the university's campus. This laboratory replicates a typical bar, and is equipped with real EGMs. Participants are recruited under the false pretense of giving their opinion on the realism of the bar replica, and on the overall feeling of the gambling session in it. They are told that: (a) they are free to gamble as much and for as long as they like; (b) they are allowed to take breaks; (c) gambling is to be done with their own money; (d) the only compensation for participation are the potential winnings made while gambling; (e) net winnings across their whole session are paid, but losses are real. There is only one participant at a time in the laboratory for the gambling session. After having stopped by their own volition (some exceptions apply, see "Detailed Description" for further details), participants are debriefed on the real goals of this study and reimbursed any incurred losses while gambling. They are then be asked to answer another series of questionnaires.
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See if this trial could fit youThis page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical trial eligibility can only be determined by the trial site after proper screening. Trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the most current status. Always consult your healthcare provider before making decisions about clinical trial participation.