Where to place my bets? Players’ adaptation to the reduction of gambling venues

Abstract This study examines players’ adaptation mechanisms after gambling venues reduction. Current research on gambling regulation focuses primarily on availability effects, yet empirical evidence on how players adapt to venue closures remains limited. Environmental prevention strategies that systematically alter gambling conditions create natural experimental situations where players must adjust their behaviour to changed circumstances. To address this gap, we conducted an online survey among 1,503 regular gamblers in the Czech Republic. Using multinomial logistic regression, we analysed adaptation strategies across three venue types: lottery outlets, betting shops, and electronic gambling machine (EGM) venues. Our findings reveal that 41.3% of regular players experienced venue closure, with significant variations in adaptation patterns. While 68.8% of lottery players switched to other venues, only one-third of EGM players chose this option, with most transitioning to online gambling instead. Key predictors of online migration included younger age, online preference, and venue supply levels. Notably, only 5.5% of EGM players completely ceased gambling after venue closure, suggesting limited effectiveness of supply reduction for high-risk gambling forms. Gender emerged as a significant factor, with men showing 65–73% lower probability of cessation. These results indicate that venue restrictions primarily lead to activity redistribution rather than participation reduction, supporting the ‘balloon effect’ concept.