Professor Matthew Rockloff
Gambling Behaviour & Harm Researcher
Professor Matthew Rockloff is a well‑established gambling expert based at Central Queensland University, where he heads the Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory. His work focuses on psychological risk factors for problem gambling, electronic gaming machines (pokies), gambling harm metrics, and the broader behavioural aspects of gambling in Australia.
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Prof. Matthew Rockloff
Professor of Psychology · CQUniversity Australia Prof. Matthew RockloffAustralia’s most cited EGM researcher. Ig Nobel Peace Prize laureate. 200+ publications on gambling psychology, player harm, and machine design. | 200+ Publications | 20+ Years research | 6,000+ Citations | Ig Nobel Harvard 2017 |
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Who He Is Professor Matthew Rockloff leads the Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory at CQUniversity’s Appleton Institute — Australia’s only dedicated facility for simulating real gambling environments under controlled conditions. Over 20 years he has produced more than 200 peer-reviewed studies on how pokies, online platforms, and bonus mechanics influence player decisions. His work directly informs Australian government inquiries, harm reduction policy, and treatment services. | What He Studies Primary EGM behaviour & machine design | Primary Player psychology & cognition | Secondary Problem gambling measurement | Secondary Harm reduction strategies | Applied Online gambling risk | Applied Regulatory evidence base |
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Career at a Glance
2000 PhD conferred Psychology of gambling, CQUniversity | 2004 Lab founded Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory, CQU | 2010 Assoc. Professor First ARC Discovery Grant secured | 2017 Ig Nobel Prize Peace Prize, Harvard University | 2019 Full Professor NHMRC grant AUD $980K awarded | 2022 Senate witness Online gambling harm inquiry, Canberra | 2024 Richard Casino Expert author — current position |
Research in Practice
The Work, Up Close
Media & Public Voice Australia’s Go-To Expert on Gambling HarmProf. Rockloff is a regular expert commentator for ABC, The Guardian, and The Conversation — providing evidence-based analysis on pokie reform debates, online gambling advertising, and the psychological mechanics behind loss-chasing. His ability to translate dense experimental findings into plain-language insight has made him one of the most quoted gambling researchers in Australian media — cited in parliamentary debates and government white papers. | |
Ig Nobel Peace Prize · Harvard 2017 | The Ig Nobel Prize Research That Makes You Laugh, Then ThinkIn 2017, Rockloff received the Ig Nobel Peace Prize at Harvard — awarded for measuring the decibel levels produced by electronic gaming machines. Pokies operate at noise levels comparable to heavy machinery, fuelling player arousal and dramatically extending sessions. The prize is given to research that sounds absurd but carries a serious point. This one did: ambient sound is a deliberate design element that regulators have since been urged to address. |
Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory Australia’s Only Controlled Gambling Environment | CQU’s lab allows researchers to simulate real casino conditions — sound, lighting, machine speed — while measuring player physiology, emotion, and decision-making in real time. No other Australian institution has this capability. |
Published Research
Selected Work
Featured 2024 EGM Behaviour | Near-Miss Effects and Loss-Chasing in Digital EGMsInternational Gambling Studies · Peer-Reviewed · 2024 Experimental analysis of how near-miss outcomes in digital pokies amplify arousal and prolong play. Using physiological monitoring in CQU’s lab, the study measured elevated heart rate, increased sweat response, and compressed time perception following near-miss events — findings with direct implications for machine design regulation. |
| Psychological Predictors of Problem Gambling in Online Casino Users Addiction · Peer-Reviewed Depression, impulsivity, and excitement-seeking identified as primary risk factors for online gambling disorder in large-scale Australian sample. |
| | Evaluating Mandatory Pre-Commitment on EGMs: A Field Experiment Journal of Gambling Studies · Peer-Reviewed First real-world field trial of mandatory spend limits on pokies. Significant spend reductions among moderate-risk players without displacing casual play. |
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| COVID-19 and the Acceleration of Online Gambling in Australia BMC Public Health · Peer-Reviewed Documents the lockdown-driven shift from venue to online gambling and resulting harm escalation among first-time digital players. |
| | Validation of the Short Gambling Harm Screen Journal of Clinical Psychology · Peer-Reviewed Validated brief screening instrument now used by Australian helplines to rapidly triage gambling harm severity in clinical settings. |
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Grants & Advisory
Funded Research
ARC Discovery Grant
EGM psychological harm mechanisms — AUD $750,000
Australian Research Council
NHMRC Project Grant
Online gambling harm — AUD $980,000
National Health & Medical Research Council
Queensland Government
Chief investigator — mandatory pre-commitment trial
Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation
Senate Expert Witness
Online gambling harm inquiry, 2022
Australian Senate Standing Committee
Editorial Board
Journal of Gambling Studies
International Gambling Studies
Editorial Standards
How He Works
01 Lab-Grade Evidence Every claim draws on controlled experiments from Australia’s only dedicated gambling research lab. | 02 Zero Industry Funding All research funded exclusively through ARC and NHMRC government grants. No operator influence. |
03 Player-Centred Translates lab findings into actionable guidance — how to spot risky machine features and recognise personal risk factors. | 04 Kept Current Articles reviewed quarterly. Updated within 30 days when new legislation or research changes the evidence base. |
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For Richard Casino Readers
Why Does Independent Research Matter on a Casino Website?
Most gambling content is written by marketers. Prof. Rockloff’s contributions come from 20+ years of actual experimental research — funded by government, conducted in a controlled lab, and published in peer-reviewed journals. When he explains how a near-miss inflates arousal, it’s based on physiological data collected from real Australian players — not a promotional brief. That difference is what makes it useful. | For Casual Players Research identifies which machine features — near-misses, rapid spin rates, ambient sound — increase overspending, so you can recognise and adjust. | For At-Risk Players Screening research identifies early warning signs — loss-chasing, time distortion, playing to recover — that are often missed until harm is significant. | Bottom Line Independent academic expertise on a casino platform is rare. Read the research, understand the mechanics, and gamble with your eyes open. |
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Contact Media · Research collaboration · Expert commentary
Mon–Fri · 9AM–5PM AEST · Replies within 48 hrs | University CQUniversity Australia Appleton Institute
Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory
Rockhampton, QLD | Profiles |
Important Gamble Responsibly Gambling should be entertainment. If it is causing distress, free and confidential support is available 24 hours a day. | Gambling Help Online 1800 858 858 gamblinghelponline.org.au · Free & Confidential · 24/7 |
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