Behavioral Responses to Natural Disasters in Italy: A Multi-Event Study Using Gambling Expenditure Data

This OSF registration documents a research project in behavioral economics examining the effects of natural disasters on municipal-level gambling expenditures in Italy. The study addresses gaps in the literature related to pre-disaster behavioral indicators. While most research in experimental economics has focused on post-disaster risk preferences, this project takes a novel approach by using a differences-in-differences analysis to estimate behavioral changes both before and after a disaster. The analysis will utilize a dataset containing municipal-level gambling expenditures in Italy from 2015 to 2022, which is currently under construction. At this stage, the project involves organizing municipal expenditure data and compiling an index of disaster events. This preregistration provides transparency for the research design and a citable reference (DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/792RP). The study expects to observe an initial slight decrease in gambling expenditures, followed by an increase in gambling expenditures. Although primarily exploratory, the research may offer valuable insights for public policy in disaster-prone regions by highlighting shifts in risk-related behavior.