Examining the impact of mobile gambling harm minimisation features: a dualistic model of passion perspective

Driven by the ubiquity of smartphones, sports gambling has intensified globally. Most mobile gambling apps are mandated to offer harm minimisation features which are IT tools designed to help prevent harmful gambling activity. Existing research on the effectiveness of gambling harm minimisation features often overlooks the fact that individuals engage with multiple IT tools to varying extents to achieve a single goal. As an initial step, and to reflect actual user engagement, we conduct an exploratory factor analysis on a range of opt-in harm minimisation features. Next, aligned with the dualistic model of passion, we theorise and empirical test how direct and indirect harm minimisation features moderate the translation of different passions for mobile gambling into the well-being outcome of subjective vitality. Our findings suggest that indirect harm minimisation features, but not direct features, are effective in protecting the well-being of obsessively passionate mobile gamblers. For harmoniously passionate mobile gamblers, the opposite situation holds – direct harm minimisation features strengthen the effect of a harmonious passion on vitality whereas indirect features have no significant effect.