Virtual peers reduce gambling symptoms and related problems of moderate-risk gamblers: A randomized controlled trial

Having friends who have maintained abstinence from gambling can help individuals seeking to stop gambling themselves. This study aimed to develop two computer-based virtual peers, one insightful and one empathetic, designed as abstinent former gamblers, and to examine whether ongoing conversations with these peers could reduce gambling symptoms and related problems among individuals with problem gambling (PG). A total of 320 Japanese individuals with PG were randomly assigned to one of four groups: the Insightful-Peer group, the Empatheticl-Peer group, the Dual-Peer group (both peers), or the Control group. The participants in the intervention groups engaged with their assigned virtual peer(s) over an eight-week period. Gambling symptoms, gambling expenditure, gambling frequency, and depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and at Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12. Participants’ chat transcripts were also categorized as change talk, sustain talk, or neutral talk. The results indicated that those in the Insightful Peer, Empathetic Peer, and Dual-Peer groups exhibited significantly higher rates of change talk than the Control group. Additionally, virtual peers had a mitigating effect on PG. Specifically, the Insightful Peer reduced both gambling symptoms and frequency, while the Empathetic Peer decreased gambling expenditure. These findings suggest that tailoring virtual peer personalities to individual user characteristics may enhance the intervention efficacy. Virtual peers may offer a novel treatment avenue for individuals who struggle to engage in traditional self-help groups.