Internet-based randomized controlled-trial is an emergent design that could be particularly pertinent in problem and pathologic online gamblers.

The proposed design of this first online randomized controlled trial among moderate risk problem and pathologic online poker gamblers with a naturalistic recruitment on the online poker operator website Winamax.

The first part of the study is a cross sectional phase, aiming to identify a screening tool of moderate risk problem and pathologic gambling among routine registered-by- operator data by comparison to the clinical diagnosis tool ‘Canadian Pathological Gambling Index’ (CPGI). The second part is an interventional phase, aiming to assess efficacy of 3 internet-based brief interventions on problem gamblers at 6 and 12 weeks compared.

The cross sectional phase will be proposed systematically to all online problem poker gamblers. The interventional phase will be proposed to all online problem poker gamblers with a CPGI score ≥ 5. Subjects will be randomized in 4 groups: 1. Control= waiting list; 2. email with personal normative information ; 3. self-help program to be downloaded (based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interview) ; 4. Same program provided by weekly email contacts with a psychologist. The first judgment criterion will be the decrease in CPGI at six weeks.

The perspectives of this study are to enhance problem and pathologic online gamblers profiling by operators by proposing a surrogate endpoint of problem and pathologic gambling and to propose an easy, acceptable, minimal-efficient online behavioral intervention to problem and pathologic gamblers.