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Do consumers gamble to convexify?

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  • Crossley, Thomas F.
  • Low, Hamish
  • Smith, Sarah

Abstract

The combination of credit constraints and indivisible consumption goods may induce some risk-averse individuals to gamble to have a chance of crossing a purchasing threshold. This idea has been demonstrated theoretically, but not explored empirically. We test this idea by focusing on a key implication: income effects for individuals who choose to gamble are likely to be larger than for the general population. Using UK data on gambling wins, other windfalls and durable goods purchases, we show that winners display higher income effects than non-winners but only amongst those likely to be credit-constrained. This is consistent with credit-constrained, risk-averse agents gambling to convexify their budget set.

Suggested Citation

  • Crossley, Thomas F. & Low, Hamish & Smith, Sarah, 2016. "Do consumers gamble to convexify?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 131(PA), pages 276-291.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:131:y:2016:i:pa:p:276-291
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2016.07.023
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    Cited by:

    1. Atalay, Kadir & Bakhtiar, Fayzan & Cheung, Stephen & Slonim, Robert, 2014. "Savings and prize-linked savings accounts," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 107(PA), pages 86-106.
    2. Andreas Fagereng & Martin B. Holm & Gisle J. Natvik, 2021. "MPC Heterogeneity and Household Balance Sheets," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 13(4), pages 1-54, October.
    3. Abbi M Kedir & Richard Disney & Indraneel Dasgupta, 2011. "Why use ROSCAs when you can use banks? Theory, and evidence from Ethiopia," Discussion Papers in Economics 11/32, Division of Economics, School of Business, University of Leicester, revised Jun 2011.
    4. Appelbaum, Elie & Katz, Eliakim, 1981. "Market Constraints as a Rationale for the Friedman-Savage Utility Function," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 89(4), pages 819-825, August.
    5. Francois R. Velde, 2018. "Lottery Loans in the Eighteenth Century," Working Paper Series WP-2018-7, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
    6. Hamish Low & Costas Meghir, 2017. "The Use of Structural Models in Econometrics," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 31(2), pages 33-58, Spring.
    7. Sylvan Herskowitz, 2021. "Gambling, Saving, and Lumpy Liquidity Needs," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 13(1), pages 72-104, January.
    8. Roth, Paula, 2020. "Inequality, Relative Deprivation and Financial Distress: Evidence from Swedish Register Data," Working Paper Series 1374, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Lotteries; Income effects; Consumption; Durables; External validity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • L83 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Sports; Gambling; Restaurants; Recreation; Tourism
    • C18 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Methodolical Issues: General

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