CHANCE Collaboratory<\/a> recreates key elements of modern gambling spaces to study how digital game design, social interaction and decision-making intersect \u2014 and how those factors can increase the risk of gambling-related harm.<\/p>\nFormally known as the \u201cCollaboratoire pour les \u00e9tudes des jeux de hasard et d\u2019argent num\u00e9riques connect\u00e9s,\u201d CHANCE functions as both a laboratory and a collaborative space. It allows researchers to conduct experiments while also welcoming partners and visitors to observe how gambling environments shape behaviour and decision-making.<\/p>\n
The collaboratory is co-directed by Sylvia Kairouz, a professor in the department of sociology and anthropology and Concordia research chair on gambling, and Martin French, an associate professor in the same department. Together, they approach gambling from a public health and harm-prevention perspective.<\/p>\n
Watching how people play<\/p>\n
The facility includes several interactive gaming terminals, a wall-sized screen and discreet cameras that capture both in-game activity and players\u2019 social interactions. Researchers can observe behaviour in real time and analyze the data afterward to identify patterns related to risk-taking, immersion and decision-making.<\/p>\n
Conference rooms within the space allow researchers and participants to discuss their experiences and reflect on how the technological and social design of gambling environments can influence behaviour.<\/p>\n
Gambling in a digital world<\/p>\n
Researchers at CHANCE place gambling within a broader digital context. Many everyday digital experiences \u2014 from mobile games to streaming platforms and food delivery apps \u2014 are designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible. The team is studying how similar mechanisms in digital gambling environments may encourage prolonged play, increased risk-taking or harmful habits.<\/p>\n
By recreating these environments in a controlled setting, researchers aim to better understand how digital architecture and social dynamics influence behaviour, and how risks can be reduced through prevention and regulation.<\/p>\n
Independent research<\/p>\n
While researchers visited La Zone at the Casino de Montr\u00e9al during the planning phase to understand contemporary gambling environments, Loto-Qu\u00e9bec was not involved in the creation or operation of CHANCE.<\/p>\n
The Collaboratory was funded through independent research grants, including support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Government of Quebec and Concordia University.<\/p>\n
Open to policymakers and the public<\/p>\n
CHANCE is designed to be accessible not only to researchers, but also to policymakers and other stakeholders. Visitors can experience firsthand how digital gambling environments subtly shape behaviour \u2014 insights that may help inform public policy, harm reduction strategies and safer game design.<\/p>\n
Connecting research to broader issues<\/p>\n
The work at CHANCE also contributes to wider conversations about digital consumption and addiction. A related symposium, \u2018Num\u00e9risation, consommation et addiction,\u201d will take place during the ACFAS Congress on May 8 and 9, exploring how digital tools influence consumption and where the line lies between controlled use and problematic or addictive behaviour.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At first glance, it looks like a fun night out at a casino: gaming terminals, bright lights, and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":486223,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194292],"tags":[49,48,2338],"class_list":["post-486222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-montreal","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-montreal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=486222"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486222\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/486223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=486222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=486222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=486222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}