A Machine Ethics Framework for Gambling: An “EthiCasino” in a

Virtual World

Anna Vartapetiance SalmasiLee Gillam

2008

Overview

• How this all came about (MSc dissertation)• Gambling• Machine Ethics• Gambling + Machine Ethics = Ethical

Gambling?• Ethical Gambling + Second Life (Surrey Island)

= EthiCasino

Online Gambling Revenue

Gambling: Harmful• Why it can create problems? (creating responsible gambling)

– Playing for money not for fun– Odds of losing are higher and outcomes are uncertain– Chasseing the game to win back the lost money– Not gaining the knowledge (it is just a “GAME”)

• Invisible addiction [3]– Gamblers get “high” - as addictive and destructive as crack cocaine– Online gamblers are more prone to addiction

• It is in isolated context and no one disturb them• Help and advice may be less apparent–

• Why online gambling industry should take responsibilities? [4]1. To clear up the industry's traditional image2. To attract potential customers that steer clear because of that image3. To comply with regulations

SENTENCES QUESTIONS AND COMMENTSWe are there to help whenever you realize that you need a control over the money that you spend

Most people don’t realize until they are addicted which is too late.

We can decrease the amount of money you can put into your account for a particulate period if you ask.

When will somebody ask? What if they win and still keep playing without adding any money?

You can increase it again if you feel you are in control. Does that mean the problem is solved in that duration? Who can assure that?

If you think you need a break from gambling, you can use self-exclusion tool

If they are addicted they will not be able to control themselves, will they?

You will not be able to log in to your account for the amount of time you specify. Once the time's up, you can log in again

What if they are still thinking about it all the time, or go elsewhere to play in that time?

It is also our duty to help prevent compulsive usage and underage access of our gaming products.

How is this measured and undertaken? If it’s mentioned, are they going to help?

We actively discourage and track persons under the age of 18 who attempt to play at our casino

How do you discourage them?

We use sophisticated verification systems which can identify minors who log in to our software.

What is that sophisticated verification system? How does it work?

We recommend filtering software to block minors from accessing certain websites and programs.

Why to have them if your sophisticated verification systems will prevent that?

If you suspect that you may have a gambling problem, you may seek professional help from the following links

What if they don’t know? Then why you are claiming having responsible gambling?

For U.S citizens please contact… Isn’t online gambling forbidden in U.S?Occasionally, a customer has a problem controlling their gambling time and money and we try to help as we can in these rare situations

If it's "occasionally, a customer" and it's a "rare situation" why everyone is putting so much effort on it?

Gambling is a form of leisure and entertainment What about it is highly addictive as well?Make sure gambling does not become a problem in your life and you do not lose control of your play.

Why don't you suggest a way?

Make sure that the decision to gamble is your personal choice. So if someone tells them to stop they should not listen to them?

Courtiers and territories that online gambling is legal1 Aland Islands 19 Dominican Republic 37 Lithuania 55 Seychelles2 Alderney 20 Estonia 38 Luxembourg 56 Singapore3 Antigua 21 Finland 39 Macau 57 Slovenia4 Argentina 22 France 40 Malta 58 Solomon Islands5 Aruba 23 Germany 41 Mauritius 59 South Africa6 Australia 24 Gibraltar 42 Monaco 60 South Korea7 Austria 25 Grenada 43 Myanmar 61 Spain8 Bahamas 26 Hungary 44 Nepal 62 St. Kitts and Nevis9 Belgium 27 Iceland 45 Netherlands Antilles 63 St. Vincent10 Belize 28 India 46 Norfolk Island 64 Swaziland11 Brazil 29 Ireland 47 North Korea 65 Sweden12 Chile 30 Isle of Man 48 Norway 66 Switzerland13 Colombia 31 Israel 49 Panama 67 Taiwan14 Comoros 32 Italy 50 Philippines 68 Tanzania15 Costa Rica 33 Jamaica 51 Poland 69 United Kingdom16 Czech Republic 34 Jersey 52 Russia 70 US Virgin Islands17 Denmark 35 Kalmykia 53 Sark 71 Vanuatu 18 Dominica 36 Latvia 54 Serbia 72 Venezuela

Countries that online gambling is illegal1 Afghanistan 8 Greece 15 New Zealand 22 Taiwan2 Algeria 9 Hong Kong 16 Nigeria 23 Thailand3 Bahrain 10 Indonesia 17 Pakistan 24 The Bahamas4 Brunei 11 Iran 18 Portugal 25 The Netherlands5 China 12 Japan 19 Saudi Arabia 26 Turkey6 Cyprus 13 Jordan 20 South Korea 27 United States7 Dubai 14 Libya 21 Sudan 28 Vietnam

Online Gambling regulations…• Approached for online gambling regulation around the world:

1. Free to play online, e.g. UK2. Not allowed to play online, e.g. USA3. Any kind of gambling activity is prohibited, e.g. Islamic countries

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act 2006US Prohibiting financial institutions from approving transactions between U.S.-based customer accounts and

offshore gamblingInternet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act 2007

US Providing a provision for licensing of internet gambling facilities by the Director of the Financial Crimes enforcement network

Skill Game Protection Act 2007US Legalize internet skilled games where players’ skills are important in winning or losing games such as poker

Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act 2007US Legalize internet gambling tax collection requirements

Interactive Gambling Act 2001Australia Provides protection for Australian players from the harmful effects of gambling

Gambling Act 2005UK it is not illegal for British residents to gamble online and it is not illegal for overseas operators to offer online

gambling to British residents

Source Examples in Online Gambling

reuters.com FBI checks gambling in Second Life virtual world

techcrunch.com Second Life bans gambling following FBI investigation

blog.secondlife.com Anti-gambling policy update

secondlife.reuters.com FBI probes Second Life gambling

secondlife.reuters.com UPDATE 3 - Linden Lab outlaws Second Life gambling

msnbc.msn.com Second Life gambling ban angers virtual world

informationweek.com Second Life gambling ban gets mixed reaction

informationweek.com Second Life casino owner left scrambling after gambling ban

theinquirer.net Second Life shuts down casinos

out-law.com US investigates Second Life gambling

techcrunch.com Betting on Second Life stock exchange

foxnews.com Gambling banned in Second Life virtual world

techdirt.com Second Life May Also Represent New Life For Online Gambling

webpronews.com Virtual Gambling Could Bring Down Second Life

linuxinsider.com Gambling in Second Life? Don't Bet on It

timesonline.co.uk Second Life says all bets are off

washingtonpost.com Second Life's Virtual Gamblers Told to Fold

secondlifeinsider.com How hard did the gambling ban hit?

techdirt.com If Gambling In Virtual Worlds Is Illegal, Does The Avatar Get Arrested?

Machine Ethics• Concerned with the ways to define:

– How machines should (learn to) behave towards human users and other machines

– How to avoid bad consequences of autonomous machines

• Designing machines whose decisions and actions will: – Mimicking actions of the 24/7 available ethical advisers – Honour privacy– Protect civil rights and individual liberty – Maximize the welfare of others

• What is an ethical machine?– Korea is planning to have “A robot in every home by 2010”– America has an “Armed robotic vehicles that will support ground

troops with ‘direct-fire’”– 4,000 robots presently serve in Iraq war and Afghanistan [1]

Name Developed by Ethical approach Techniques Suitable Ethical area Ethos Searing, D. Moral DM Not AI

Some ethical samples Engineering Students

Practical- ethical problems

Dax Cowart

Multiple writers Moral DM Not AI Students, Teachers

Biomedical ethics, Right to die

Metanet Guarini, M. Particularism Motive consequentialism

Pair case (SRN), Case base, Neural network (training), Three layers

Problems in flagging

Killing or allowing to die

Robins, R. And Wallach, W.

Desire-intention Multi-agent Not implemented

Truth-Teller

McLaren, B. M. Casuistry Pair case, Case-Based Reasoning,

Ethical advice Pragmatic or hypothetical cases

HYPO Ashley, K. D. Legal- reasoning Case base Legal advice Hypothetical cases SIROCCO McLaren, B. M Casuistry Pair case, Case-Based

Reasoning, Simulating “moral imagination”

Ethical device NSPE Code of Ethics

Jeremy Anderson, M. Anderson, S. Armen, C.

Hedonistic act utilitarianism

“Moral arithmetic” Rule generalization

W.D. Anderson, M. Anderson, S. Armen , C

Prima facie duty, Casuistry

Inductive-logic programming, Learning algorithm, Reflective equilibrium

Rule generalization

MedEthEx Anderson, M. Anderson, S. Armen , C.

W.D. Medical ethics, Casuistry ,Prima facie duty

Inductive-logic programming, Machine learning, Reflective equilibrium

Health care workers

Biomedical ethics

EthEl Anderson, M. Anderson, S.

Prima facie duty, Casuistry, W.D., Medical ethics

Inductive-logic programming, Learning algorithm, Reflective equilibrium

Eldercare Biomedical ethics

EthiCasino

Gillam, L.Vartapetiance, A.

Prima facia duty,Garrett duties

Case Base Reasoning, machine learning

Online Casino Gambling ethics

Duty Definition Examples in Online GamblingRoss's Duties = No absolute rules [5]

Fidelity Fulfil promises/ agreements and contracts

After losing some amounts of money users may not be able to pay for that they have promised they will be able to

Reparation Make up for wrongful action of injuries previously done to others

Impossible to make up for someone’s loss in gambling because someone’s win means others loss.

Gratitude Be grateful of favours done by others and take actions to reply if possible

Users don’t know who they are playing with, even if they know it is impossible to take action to reply their loss of money

Self-improvement

Take actions to improve one’s own condition with respect of virtue, intelligence and pleasure

Any kind of loss can reduce the happiness of players. Gambling can bring addiction which is against this duty.

Beneficence Do goods to others and improve their conditions

Impossible to bring beneficence either by choosing to lose or paying back; if so then what is to point with gambling?

Non-injury Not harm others physically and psychologically

Impossible to not harm others because at least the winner will harm others psychologically.

Justice (fairness)

Prevent any mismatch between one’s pleasures and their “merits”

Always unfair because it’s not based on users actions and will.

Garrett's Duties [6]Harm prevention

Prevent harm to others Players can be harmed by themselves and other players if they lose.

Freedom Preventing power enforcement and questioning one's freedom and autonomy

Impossible to consider any kind of freedom, autonomy and will in what is usually considered to be a “business of LUCK”.

Care Be concerned about to whom one is concretely related such as within families or between close friends.

Impossible to make difference between the relationships because of the nature of gambling itself and because of online gambling's limitation in identifying the other players.

What was involved?• User side:

– Clarifying possible risks and preventing harms– Identifying different regulation– Defining time and money limits– Reminding about time and money limits

• Company side:– Letting specific person to play or not– Log-out users if they pass their limits– Provide users with information based on their knowledge

• Final result– framework for ethical casinos operating online gambling

implemented in Virtual world (Second Life)

Design And Implementation Prototype of EthiCasino

• Differences between MedEthEx and EthEl:– Each stage may have one or more duties– Maximizing the outcome the duties involved

• 6 of Ross’s duties and all Garrett’s duties– Make the whole process ethical– Ethicality of both user interaction and the system itself

• Design and implementation stages1. Legal issues2. Ethical issues related to gambling facts and risks3. Defining boundaries for time and money being spent4. Equipping each user with an appropriate reminder5. Taking actions for those who exceeded the boundaries

Legal and Ethical Issues• Legal issues

– Minimum age of gambling• For EthiCasino is 21 – either 18 or 21 in most countries

– Countries• Only users from countries that online gambling is allowed

– Notification• Reasoning behind the system decision making

• Ethical issues– Knowing the knowledge of the users

• Asking questions related to gambling- responsible gambling• Fact and Fiction (12) and Risk and loss aversion (8)• L$10 for each participants

Gambling Questionnaire• Extracting the rules for categorizing users

– Defining rules based on companies needs– Applying the rule on users answers

1. Need information about the games only2. Need to be reminded about the facts 3. Need full monitoring- more prone to addiction

• Experimenting– SLSurvey, Sloodle: SL + Moodle, My3q: Web base application

• Data collection– 50 avatars– Average correct answers = 61%– Minimum correct answers = 7 out of 20– Maximum correct answers = 17 out of 20– Correct answers will not represent users knowledge directly

How much do you know?

1) If a Gaming machine in a casino or betting shop hasn't paid out in while, it will soona) Fact b) Fiction

2) Odds area) Same as probability b) 50/50 chance of winingc) Amount that gambling operator will pay out, before taking off the house edged) Amount that gambling operator will pay out, after taking off the house edge

How much do you know?13) In blackjack:

a) Dealers will win all the bets from losing players no matter what’s in their own handb) Dealers will win all the bets from losing players is they have wining cardsc) Players will win if their hand beats other players but not the dealer’sd) The Dealer has “equal chance” as other players

4) For a gaming machine, if you play more than one game the average return to player:a) Will increase b) Will stay the samec) It’s random c) Will decrease

# % wrong Risk Description Summary Believe in Luck

3 54% Low It’s a personal belief that might not be destructive People can believe in what they want as long as they accept the facts

6 8% Medium It's not logical if someone thinks like that but still not highly destructive

9 44 % High It’s a fact and important to know itPlaying for money

1 12% High Users may come back to play more and win money People should play only for joy and not with the purpose of earning money in this way

5 12% High Users may continue playing for win the money back and end up losing more

10 22% Medium Although winning money may solve problems but that should not be the goal of playing

Sequentiality of actions2 30% M- High It’s a fact and important to know it it's impossible to predict in

next action gambling 7 18% M- High It’s a fact and important to know itBasic facts

4 38% High That’s why gambling industry makes profit12 8% High It’s a fact and important to know it

Denial8 12% M- High Not realistic People can just make excuse

to continue playing 11 4% M- High They either got it or not, there no way in the middleMath. Calculation

14 44% M- High If players cannot calculate percentages they might lose or gamble more that what they think

Knowing how percentages work is important to track the money being spend 16 66% M- High Not knowing percentages may harm them financially

Information relation to each gambling activity13 74% Low They might face this in descriptions People might not know

anything about game but still enjoy it which will not be destructive

15 82% Low They may learn it by first time17 74% Medium Not knowing the meaning =not understand descriptions18 28% Low They may learn it by first time19 78% Low They may learn it by first time20 34% Low They may learn it by first time

Defining Boundaries• Minimize any “possibility for addiction”

– Have limits for time and money users will spend– Self-defining boundaries

• Combining self-defined limits with user categories– If category 1 and 2: no reaction from system side– If category 3

• Average limit: no reaction• Above limit: applying medium range

Period of time Time MoneyMinimum Maximum Minimum Maximum

Extra money ----- ------ $50 $500

Per day 1 hour 4 hours L$100 L$2,000

Per week 5 hours 20 hours L$ 2,500 L$10,000

VIKI-Reminder and Alarm• VIKI (Virtual Interactive Kinetic intelligence) - Reminder

– Adopting the idea of software “nagware”1. Artificial ethical conscience2. Encyclopaedia of gambling3. Reminding users about time and money they spend• If limits are not reached then remind in half way of money

and time• If limits are reached then give final notice

• VIKI- Alarm– Some may exceed their limits

• System should force the limits by disconnect the interaction

VIKI- Reminder and Alarm

Evaluation• Machine ethics– First ethical machine implemented and tested with actual

data and real users

• Casino Ethics– First in its kind with developing a prototype of the mentioned

theories

• Questionnaire– Data driven approach– Calculating correlation matrix of answers• How predictable the answers are. • CorrelationMatrix(a,b) = Correlation( questiona, questionb )• Better to have least correlation (0 and ±1.00)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 201 1 -0.11 0.22 0.09 0.81 0.12 0.15 0.43 0.04 -0.05 0.43 -0.11 0.22 0.29 0.17 -0.25 -0.06 0.01 0.20 -0.01

2 -0.11 1 0.08 0.21 -0.11 0.29 0.26 0.16 0.04 -0.14 0.11 -0.19 -0.01 -0.14 0.19 -0.18 0.29 0.07 0.24 -0.01

3 0.22 0.08 1 0.47 0.22 0.27 0.22 0.09 0.25 0.20 0.26 0.12 0.00 0.25 -0.22 -0.32 0.18 -0.08 -0.20 0.15

4 0.09 0.21 0.47 1 0.09 -0.08 0.28 -0.16 0.39 0.08 0.12 0.07 0.09 0.30 0.15 -0.22 0.37 0.07 0.02 -0.04

5 0.81 -0.11 0.22 0.09 1 0.12 0.31 0.43 -0.08 0.10 0.43 0.12 0.22 0.29 0.17 -0.38 -0.06 -0.11 0.20 0.12

6 0.12 0.29 0.27 -0.08 0.12 1 0.05 0.34 0.18 0.38 0.22 -0.09 -0.16 0.04 -0.25 -0.26 0.17 -0.28 0.16 0.10

7 0.15 0.26 0.22 0.28 0.31 0.05 1 0.15 -0.10 0.13 0.03 0.05 0.28 0.21 0.08 -0.21 0.16 0.18 0.12 0.10

8 0.43 0.16 0.09 -0.16 0.43 0.34 0.15 1 0.17 0.10 0.43 -0.11 -0.06 0.04 0.01 -0.38 -0.06 0.01 0.05 -0.01

9 0.04 0.04 0.25 0.39 -0.08 0.18 -0.10 0.17 1 0.21 0.16 0.18 -0.12 0.11 -0.21 -0.13 0.25 0.04 -0.21 -0.13

10 -0.05 -0.14 0.20 0.08 0.10 0.38 0.13 0.10 0.21 1 0.10 0.02 -0.02 0.11 -0.25 -0.03 -0.02 -0.03 -0.07 0.13

11 0.43 0.11 0.26 0.12 0.43 0.22 0.03 0.43 0.16 0.10 1 0.22 -0.05 0.16 0.10 -0.49 -0.16 0.02 0.02 -0.04

12 -0.11 -0.19 0.12 0.07 0.12 -0.09 0.05 -0.11 0.18 0.02 0.22 1 0.01 0.18 -0.05 -0.26 0.01 -0.14 -0.20 0.10

13 0.22 -0.01 0.00 0.09 0.22 -0.16 0.28 -0.06 -0.12 -0.02 -0.05 0.01 1 0.34 0.08 -0.04 -0.04 0.11 -0.20 -0.25

14 0.29 -0.14 0.25 0.30 0.29 0.04 0.21 0.04 0.11 0.11 0.16 0.18 0.34 1 0.10 -0.21 0.16 0.28 0.08 -0.04

15 0.17 0.19 -0.22 0.15 0.17 -0.25 0.08 0.01 -0.21 -0.25 0.10 -0.05 0.08 0.10 1 -0.01 -0.04 0.03 0.25 0.01

16 -0.25 -0.18 -0.32 -0.22 -0.38 -0.26 -0.21 -0.38 -0.13 -0.03 -0.49 -0.26 -0.04 -0.21 -0.01 1 -0.14 0.18 0.03 -0.02

17 -0.06 0.29 0.18 0.37 -0.06 0.17 0.16 -0.06 0.25 -0.02 -0.16 0.01 -0.04 0.16 -0.04 -0.14 1 0.02 -0.09 -0.15

18 0.01 0.07 -0.08 0.07 -0.11 -0.28 0.18 0.01 0.04 -0.03 0.02 -0.14 0.11 0.28 0.03 0.18 0.02 1 0.12 -0.01

19 0.20 0.24 -0.20 0.02 0.20 0.16 0.12 0.05 -0.21 -0.07 0.02 -0.20 -0.20 0.08 0.25 0.03 -0.90 0.12 1 0.28

20 -0.01 -0.01 0.15 -0.04 0.12 0.10 0.10 -0.01 -0.13 0.13 -0.04 0.10 -0.25 -0.04 0.10 -0.25 -0.04 0.01 0.28 1

Conclusion• Designing machines whose decisions and actions will:

– Mimicking actions of the 24/7 available ethical advisers – Honour privacy– Protect civil rights and individual liberty – Maximize the welfare of others

• Concerned with the ways to define: – How machines should (learn to) behave towards human users and other

machines– How to avoid bad consequences of autonomous machines

"EthiCasino's goal is to prevent online gambling ethical and legal dilemmas to be raised, not to solve them.”

“EthiCasino aims at a system that learns about the risky behaviour and (lack of) knowledge of its users, and tries

to prevent harm through increased risk taking.”

Questions?

Thank you …

Anna Vartapetianceav00024@surrey.ac.uk

Lee Gillaml.gillam@surrey.ac.uk