Tony Schellinck

Gambling and corporate social responsibility (CSR): Re-defining industry and state roles on duty of care, host responsibility and risk management

Abstract During the 1990s, states embraced legalised gambling as a means of supplementing state revenue. But gaming machines (EGMs, pokies, VLTs, Slots) have become increasingly controversial in countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand, which experienced unprecedented roll-out of gaming machines in casino and community settings; alongside revenue windfalls for both governments and the gambling industry. Governments have recognised that gambling results in a range of social and economic harms and, similar to tobacco and alcohol, have introduced public policies predicated on harm minimisation. Yet despite these, gaming losses have continued to climb in most jurisdictions, along with concerns about gambling-related harms. The first part of this article discusses an emerging debate in Ontario Canada, that draws parallels between host responsibility in alcohol and gambling venues. In Canada, where government owns and operates the gaming industry, this debate prompts important questions on the role of the state, duty of care and regulation ‘in the public interest’ and on CSR, host responsibility and consumer protection. This prompts the question: Do governments owe a duty of care to gamblers? The article then discusses three domains of accumulating research evidence to inform questions raised in the Ontario debate: evidence that visible behavioural indicators can be used with high confidence to identify problem gamblers on-site in venues as they gamble; new systems using player tracking and loyalty data that can provide management with high precision identification of problem gamblers and associated risk (for protective interventions); and research on technological design features of new generation gaming products in interaction with players, that shows how EGM machines can be the site for monitoring/protecting players. We then canvass some leading international jurisdictions on gambling policy CSR and consumer protection. In light of this new research, we ask whether the risk of legal liability poses a tipping point for more interventionist public policy responses by both the state and industry. This includes a proactive role for the state in re-regulating the gambling industry/products; instituting new forms of gaming machine product control/protection; and reinforcing corporate social responsibility (CSR) and host responsibility obligations on gambling providers – beyond self-regulatory codes. We argue the ground is shifting, there is new evidence to inform public policy and government regulation and there are new pressures on gambling providers and regulators to avail themselves of the new technology – or risk litigation.

A systematic approach for evaluating port effectiveness

The objective of this paper is to examine how users evaluate port effectiveness and identify those constructs relevant to that evaluation. The three user groups studied are carriers, cargo interests, and suppliers of services at the port. The study team developed an on-line survey instrument and delivered it to Canadian port users with the assistance of eight industry organizations. The findings of the research are based on the contributions of 57 decision makers with port usage experience, many of whom fit into more than one group of users. The study concludes that the evaluation criteria influencing users’ perceptions of satisfaction, competitiveness, and service delivery effectiveness are different, and so while the determinants of these constructs have considerable overlap, they are different constructs. This paper also illustrates how independent (or third-party) evaluation of port performance might be used by a port to strategically improve its service to users, and therefore have value from a port perspective in its strategic planning.

Improving port effectiveness through determinance/performance gap analysis

Port managers, governments, and stakeholders bring different perspectives to the challenges of port management. One of the greatest of these challenges is identifying and prioritizing investments to take advantage of the opportunities for future growth and to meet the needs of customers and users seeking value in the supply chains served by the port. Importance–performance gap analysis, based on discrepancies between performance effectiveness and user expectations, has been illustrated to be one means of guiding these decisions while determinance scores offer another. However, user perceptions of satisfaction and effectiveness often lead to conflicting signals between these two methods when port managers seek to allocate resources for performance improvements. The authors develop a mapping process based on determinant/performance gap analysis to address conflicting signals between the methodologies for evaluating performance effectiveness and thereby assist port managers in making appropriate performance investment decisions that will address users’ requirements.

Gaining control: trends in the processes of change for video lottery terminal gamblers

This study examined the processes of change used by problem gamblers in the action and maintenance stages of the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM) as proposed in the research by Prochaska and DiClemente. A sample of 25 problem gamblers in the action stage and 38 in the maintenance stage were compared in terms of usage of three of these processes (counterconditioning, stimulus control and reinforcement management). Two mediating variables, self-efficacy and situational temptation, were also assessed. As hypothesised, the usage of counterconditioning and stimulus control declined significantly between the action and maintenance stages. No change was found in reinforcement management between the stages. Self-efficacy increased and situational temptation declined between the action and maintenance stages. Problem gamblers made significant use of these processes suggesting the TTM model is applicable to problem gambling. The discussion focuses on possible regulatory and venue operator actions that might help the problem gambler utilise these processes in the natural recovery process.

Identifying early prescribers of Cycloxygenase-2 Inhibitors (COX-2s) in Nova Scotia, Canada: Considerations for targeted academic detailing

BACKGROUND Expenditures on prescribed drugs in Canada are now well past those for all services provided by outpatient physicians (

Measuring port effectiveness: what really determines cargo interests’ evaluations of port service delivery?

26.9 billion vs.

Does superior service performance provided to shipping lines improve the perceived value of a port

21.5 billion in 2007). Government has the opportunity to dedicate resources to continuing medical education of physicians, and effective profiling would assist in the allocation of these educational resources. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate physician prescribing patterns and establish criteria by which various prescribing profiles may be segmented and identified, so as to better target detailing and continuing medical education resources. METHODS A sample of 925 physicians practicing in Nova Scotia (NS) was characterized by age, sex, rural/urban nature of their practice and specialty. They were subsequently evaluated relative to all prescriptions filled by their patients who were beneficiaries of the NS Department of Healths seniors Pharmacare drug insurance program. The adoption of COX-2 inhibitors (eg, Vioxx) and Celebrex) and their substitution for NS-NSAIDs (non-specific non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, eg, Motrin) from 1999 to 2003 were examined. RESULTS This analysis established the profiles of 2 key groups of physicians. The first consisted of those most likely to comprise the early, high volume COX-2-prescribing universe (profiles based on the absolute number of prescriptions written over a given period). These individuals were likely to be older, more experienced, male general practitioners operating in a rural practice. The second group consisted of those most likely to comprise the early, high-relative, COX-2-prescribing universe (prescribing of COX-2s relative to non-selective, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NS-NSAIDs)). These individuals were likely to be younger, less experienced female general practitioners, operating in an urban practice. CONCLUSION This research moves us closer to identifying unique physician segments that account for either the largest volume of prescriptions for new drugs, or the largest relative volume of prescriptions. Use of these physician groups can help continuing medical education providers target specific prescribers with information to assist them in examining and improving their prescribing.

Measuring Port Effectiveness

For port managers seeking to serve the needs of the beneficial cargo owners, understanding the factors critical to their evaluation of the port’s customer service delivery is of critical importance. This research examined service delivery effectiveness as perceived by cargo owners and agents in seven North American container ports, with more than 250 000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) in volume. Using an Internet survey instrument, the study finds negligible differences in stated requirements of ports between cargo owners and cargo agents (as indicated by importance scores) but significant differences between the two segments in the influence that the individual criterion has on the performance scores ports receive and on the size and nature of performance gaps. Importance-performance gap (I-P Gap) analysis provides slightly different guidance than does determinance analysis, indicating that there is a need for both approaches and a method for reconciling different outcomes.

Developing an instrument to assess seaport effectiveness in service delivery

Port authorities strive to provide value to port users to maximise user satisfaction and loyalty to the port over the long term. This assumes superior performance adds utility to the port service and this will be reflected in the perceived value of the port services offered. There is a lack of empirical evidence that the relationship between port service performance and perceived value exists. This paper examines this issue using a sample of 93 assessments of seven North American ports by shipping line representatives. Exploratory Principal Components Analysis of 17 service performance criteria identified four dimensions of port performance and examined their influence. Performance did not influence perceived cost of using the port but did influence both value and value-added supplied by the port. This suggests that ports that have difficulty competing in terms of port costs can compensate with superior performance, providing guidance for both investment and marketing.

Identifying Problem Gamblers at the Gambling Venue: Finding Combinations of High Confidence Indicators

Port managers need to be able to identify and prioritize port investments to take advantage of opportunities for growth. Those who serve the needs of beneficial cargo owners and shipping lines must know how to evaluate their customer service delivery efforts. Although this area has received research attention, this paper adds to the understanding by focusing on performance evaluations of ports by supply chain partners, key actors in the effectiveness of a ports service delivery. The current literature relevant to the assessment of port performance and the perspectives of this user group is reviewed. The range of port-related roles performed by supply chain partners is then examined to create context for the results. Four measures that provide general (as opposed to port-specific) indications of the relative need for attention to each criterion are identified and discussed. Finally, the statements are used to create a formative supply chain partner port assessment construct used to measure relevant criteria. Port managers can use these criteria when formulating high-quality service to their supply chain partners, which in turn will support port efforts to improve performance for cargo owners and shipping lines.