Sleep or Play Online Poker?: Gambling Behaviors and Tilt Symptoms While Sleep Deprived

Online poker has the convenience of being accessible 24/7 allowing a large proportion of players to gamble at night. Although some studies postulate a bi-directional relationship between excessive online poker playing and sleep disturbances, sleep has yet to be studied as a primary outcome variable...

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Main Authors: Alexandre Hamel, Célyne Bastien, Christian Jacques, Axelle Moreau, Isabelle Giroux
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.600092/full
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author Alexandre Hamel
Célyne Bastien
Christian Jacques
Axelle Moreau
Isabelle Giroux
author_facet Alexandre Hamel
Célyne Bastien
Christian Jacques
Axelle Moreau
Isabelle Giroux
author_sort Alexandre Hamel
collection DOAJ
description Online poker has the convenience of being accessible 24/7 allowing a large proportion of players to gamble at night. Although some studies postulate a bi-directional relationship between excessive online poker playing and sleep disturbances, sleep has yet to be studied as a primary outcome variable in online poker studies. Sleep deprivation has been linked to alterations in emotional regulation, decision-making, and risk-taking behaviors. All of which are known to induce episodes of tilt. Conversely, online poker playing during regular sleep hours may interfere with sleep quality. The objectives of the present study are (a) to explore the effects of sleep deprivation on tilt symptoms and gambling behaviors and (b) to assess whether playing an online poker session shortly before bedtime (120 min) influences the player's sleep quality. Sleeping habits, tilt symptoms, and online poker behaviors of 23 regular online poker players (22 men, 1 woman) were monitored daily for 28 days using questionnaires and hand histories. Tilt and gambling behaviors during online poker sessions (n = 588) played while the player was sleep-deprived were compared to sessions played while not sleep-deprived. Different sleep variables were also compared for sessions (n = 897) played 2 h before bedtime to no sessions played before sleep. Sleep-deprived poker sessions revealed higher emotional and behavioral tilt, a higher number of hands played and unfavorable financial results than at-rest sessions. Also, emotional and behavioral tilt was higher when alcohol was consumed. Sessions played 2 h before bedtime revealed a shorter sleep onset latency than when no sessions were played before bedtime. Post-hoc mixed regression analyses revealed that emotional and behavioral tilt is associated with shorter total sleep time and shorter sleep onset latency, while cognitive tilt is associated with a decrease in sleep efficiency. This study is the first to specifically explore sleep variables with online poker players within an ecological study design. The findings shed light on the daily impacts of nighttime online gambling practices. Future studies are needed to further explore the interaction between subjective and objective sleep variables and online gambling habits as well as investigate players' motives for playing while sleep deprived.
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spelling doaj.art-872f0e40480a45fc9e8cd5de36678bf32022-12-21T23:16:39ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402021-01-011110.3389/fpsyt.2020.600092600092Sleep or Play Online Poker?: Gambling Behaviors and Tilt Symptoms While Sleep DeprivedAlexandre Hamel0Célyne Bastien1Christian Jacques2Axelle Moreau3Isabelle Giroux4Centre québécois d'excellence pour la prévention et le traitement du jeu (CQEPTJ), École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, CanadaLaboratoire de neurosciences humaines comportementales – Sommeil et Potentiels Évoqués (SPEC), École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, CanadaCentre québécois d'excellence pour la prévention et le traitement du jeu (CQEPTJ), École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, CanadaCentre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Institut universitaire sur les dépendances, Montréal, QC, CanadaCentre québécois d'excellence pour la prévention et le traitement du jeu (CQEPTJ), École de psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, CanadaOnline poker has the convenience of being accessible 24/7 allowing a large proportion of players to gamble at night. Although some studies postulate a bi-directional relationship between excessive online poker playing and sleep disturbances, sleep has yet to be studied as a primary outcome variable in online poker studies. Sleep deprivation has been linked to alterations in emotional regulation, decision-making, and risk-taking behaviors. All of which are known to induce episodes of tilt. Conversely, online poker playing during regular sleep hours may interfere with sleep quality. The objectives of the present study are (a) to explore the effects of sleep deprivation on tilt symptoms and gambling behaviors and (b) to assess whether playing an online poker session shortly before bedtime (120 min) influences the player's sleep quality. Sleeping habits, tilt symptoms, and online poker behaviors of 23 regular online poker players (22 men, 1 woman) were monitored daily for 28 days using questionnaires and hand histories. Tilt and gambling behaviors during online poker sessions (n = 588) played while the player was sleep-deprived were compared to sessions played while not sleep-deprived. Different sleep variables were also compared for sessions (n = 897) played 2 h before bedtime to no sessions played before sleep. Sleep-deprived poker sessions revealed higher emotional and behavioral tilt, a higher number of hands played and unfavorable financial results than at-rest sessions. Also, emotional and behavioral tilt was higher when alcohol was consumed. Sessions played 2 h before bedtime revealed a shorter sleep onset latency than when no sessions were played before bedtime. Post-hoc mixed regression analyses revealed that emotional and behavioral tilt is associated with shorter total sleep time and shorter sleep onset latency, while cognitive tilt is associated with a decrease in sleep efficiency. This study is the first to specifically explore sleep variables with online poker players within an ecological study design. The findings shed light on the daily impacts of nighttime online gambling practices. Future studies are needed to further explore the interaction between subjective and objective sleep variables and online gambling habits as well as investigate players' motives for playing while sleep deprived.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.600092/fullonline gambling behaviortiltsleep deprivationpokersleep quality
spellingShingle Alexandre Hamel
Célyne Bastien
Christian Jacques
Axelle Moreau
Isabelle Giroux
Sleep or Play Online Poker?: Gambling Behaviors and Tilt Symptoms While Sleep Deprived
Frontiers in Psychiatry
online gambling behavior
tilt
sleep deprivation
poker
sleep quality
title Sleep or Play Online Poker?: Gambling Behaviors and Tilt Symptoms While Sleep Deprived
title_full Sleep or Play Online Poker?: Gambling Behaviors and Tilt Symptoms While Sleep Deprived
title_fullStr Sleep or Play Online Poker?: Gambling Behaviors and Tilt Symptoms While Sleep Deprived
title_full_unstemmed Sleep or Play Online Poker?: Gambling Behaviors and Tilt Symptoms While Sleep Deprived
title_short Sleep or Play Online Poker?: Gambling Behaviors and Tilt Symptoms While Sleep Deprived
title_sort sleep or play online poker gambling behaviors and tilt symptoms while sleep deprived
topic online gambling behavior
tilt
sleep deprivation
poker
sleep quality
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.600092/full
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