Effect of interventions in the field of universal and selective problem gambling prevention. An international literature review

Objective. In Germany, the issue of preventing pathological gambling has recently gained importance. The literature analysis at hand shall constitute an empirical contribution to the current discussion in the expert community. Methods. Results of evaluation studies are compiled, focusing on universal and selective prevention measures. The literature analysis is based mainly on articles (N=26) in peer-reviewed journals (as of 1999). Results. As for school-based prevention measures, considerably positive effects can be found regarding the knowledge and attitude of students. Furthermore, a number of studies point to effective prevention measures in the fields of online gambling and gambling machines. Last but not least, the analysis shows that media campaigns can contribute to raising awareness of potential risks of gambling among the general population. Conclusion. The empirical findings of this analysis should be considered in the discussion of the expert community and in the process of a rational policymaking aimed at the prevention of pathological gambling. However, as for a number of prevention measures, long-term studies are needed to provide evidence of their effects on the middle- and long-term gambling behavior of various target groups.