During a recent video call, Dr. Mary Donohue recounted a distressing experience involving her brother, who placed a considerable parlay bet that stimulated a severe physiological response—so alarming that her husband feared he was having a stroke. Unbeknownst to them, he had not disclosed his wager prior to this incident. This episode prompted her brother to overhaul his gambling habits, honed over nearly three decades. It also ignited Dr. Donohue's drive to help others avoid similar poor decisions in gambling.
Dr. Donohue is now the head of the Digital Wellness Center, characterized as the only wellness-focused organization specifically serving gamers. The center has set an ambitious goal: to reduce instances of online gambling problems by 25% by 2030.
To accomplish this, the center employs gamification techniques similar to those that can contribute to gambling issues. By utilizing evidence-based digital programs and encouraging microbreaks, the organization aims to alleviate stress and foster recovery among users.
Dr. Donohue critiques existing responsible gambling initiatives, labeling them as “an oxymoron.” She stresses that gambling, often seen as an enjoyable challenge, can morph into something detrimental for many individuals. Louis Ruggiero recently shared with CasinoBeats how his struggle with gambling addiction pushed him to the brink of suicide. He criticized gambling companies for exacerbating his addiction, claiming their responsible gambling measures are merely superficial gestures intended to appease regulators.
She acknowledges the complexities involved, highlighting the necessity to enhance the effectiveness of responsible gambling outreach—or, as she prefers to call it, responsible recovery. Notably, she notes that 71% of people do not remember any responsible gambling advertisements. The main flaw with current strategies is their reactive nature; they tend to focus on addressing problems after they materialize rather than preventing them in the first place.
Dr. Donohue elaborates, stating, “Current RG focuses on, ‘Oh, you’ve made a bad decision, you’ve bet over your normal amount. You should do this or this.’ What we measure is recovery and how recovery affects decision-making.” She has found that taking a pause can be quite effective in improving decision-making, emphasizing that many well-being tools advise stopping entirely. However, she believes a more relevant inquiry pertains to understanding how individuals can recover from stress to avoid making poor decisions.
She explains a larger issue: a stressed populace is disadvantageous for everyone involved.
Dr. Donohue emphasizes the following statistic: 82% of adults struggle to disconnect from their phones. Furthermore, according to the World Health Organization, 66% of the global population suffers from stress, which often leads to stress-related illnesses. “This is your customer base—approximately 60% of gamblers, and this trend spans across various demographics. If such a large proportion of the population is stressed, are they making sound decisions? The clear answer is no.”
She poses a rhetorical question aimed at the gambling industry: “Does it benefit the business, the customer, or the brand when a stressed consumer like my brother makes a poor choice?”
While there are opinions that assert gambling companies profit from the losses of addicted players, Dr. Donohue disagrees. “My brother had been a lucrative customer for gambling companies for 30 years, but his incident reflects poorly on the brand. The expense associated with acquiring new customers means they cannot afford to overlook their existing ones. While I would like to say it’s about human compassion, that would be an unrealistic expectation for any corporation.”
One of the effective methods the Digital Wellness Center employs is the concept of microbreaks. These short breaks are designed to manage stress without disrupting gaming sessions, as Dr. Donohue clarifies.
Her approach to recovery emphasizes balance rather than cessation. In a recent presentation at the National Council on Problem Gambling conference, she illustrated that stress can skew cognitive function while overconfidence can trigger reckless decisions. Microbreaks serve to restore this essential balance.
As part of our conversation, Dr. Donohue guided me through a microbreak by engaging in Droodle puzzles. She pointed out, “When you participated in that quick game, you were on our platform, which is linked to a casino brand. We ran a TikTok ad for them that garnered 2 million impressions, meaning 2 million individuals in our target demographic encountered it. We identified 1,100 players exhibiting high stress levels, and among those, 134 explored our responsible gambling page. This means 9% of stressed individuals voluntarily opted to take a break.”
She highlighted the significant impact of these brief respites on mood, noting, “Data indicates that 44% of individuals transition from stress to happiness in under three minutes.” In a separate initiative in collaboration with another online casino, she reported a 74% surge in positive moods among users. "This happens before individuals face serious problems, like my brother did. They self-select and take action themselves. People can indeed help themselves.”
Delving into the science of microbreaks, Dr. Donohue assured me her explanation would be enlightening. “When you engaged in that break, consider what transpired in your brain,” she explained. “Your phone bombards your brain with rapid information, which it hasn’t fully adapted to yet. Prolonged exposure leads to mental clutter—unlike a car that signals issues with a check engine light, your brain lacks such warnings.”
“Creating balance is crucial to making informed decisions,” she continued, stating that these moments of distraction clear mental clutter. “The brief game allowed you to concentrate, shifting your focus away from our discussion. It’s that simple.”
Dr. Donohue concluded by underlining the connection between mental clarity and sound decision-making. She remarked, “Most gamblers lose money, yet by clearing cognitive overload, they can engage the part of their brain that makes informed betting decisions. Support from experts like Professors Robert Scott and Mikhail Sher has demonstrated that strategic thinking is central to successful betting approaches. My company aims to empower individuals to make better decisions and not follow the path my brother took.”
