Massachusetts gamblers could benefit from a better understanding of the games they play and the risks involved, and from greater use of strategies like setting a limit before beginning to gamble, a Canadian consultancy reported to the Gaming Commission.

Overall, a study of more than 1,500 gamblers in Massachusetts found that their beliefs and behaviors around responsible gaming are mostly in line with their peers in some other states with legal gambling, but that they are more likely to be less responsible players than those in Canada.

Dr. Richard Wood, a psychologist who specializes in the study of gaming behavior for the firm Gamres, presented the findings from an online survey of 1,512 Massachusetts gamblers, all of whom had gambled in the last 12 months and half of whom had gambled at a Massachusetts casino during that time period.