Simulated gambling games and gaming disorder among Australian adolescents

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Author(s): Hing, Nerilee ; Russell, Alex M. T. ; King, Daniel L. ; Rockloff, Matthew J. ; Browne, Matthew ; Newall, Philip W. S. ; Greer, Nancy

Journal: Addictive Behaviors

Year Published: 2023

Date Added: January 23, 2023

People with gaming disorder (GD) typically have trouble stopping when gaming, even if they experience negative consequences. Simulated gambling games include gambling activities or have similar structural characteristics. There are three main types of simulated gambling games: games with ‘mini’ gambling components, social casino games, and loot boxes. This study examined whether greater engagement in and greater spending on these types of simulated gambling increased the risk of GD in adolescents. A sample of Australians aged 12 to 17 years was surveyed, including 646 participants who gamed in the last year. Adolescents who engaged in simulated gambling (all types) in the last month were more likely to have GD than those who did not participate in simulated gambling. This link was strongest for social casino games, followed by games with ‘mini’ gambling components, and finally loot boxes. Participants who spent money in simulated gambling games (e.g., microtransactions and loot boxes) were more likely to have GD.

Citation: Hing, N., Russell, A. M. T., King, D. L., Rockloff, M., Browne, M., Newall, P., & Greer, N. (2023). Not all games are created equal: Adolescents who play and spend money on simulated gambling games show greater risk for gaming disorder. Addictive Behaviors, 137, 107525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107525.

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107525

Keywords: Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) ; loot boxes ; problem gambling ; simulated gambling ; social casino games

Topics: Online Gambling

Conceptual Framework Factors: Psychological - Comorbid Disorders ; Exposure - Convergence of Gaming and Gambling ; Gambling Exposure

Study Design: Descriptive: Survey

Geographic Coverage: Australia, New South Wales

Study Population: Participants were Australian adolescents aged 12 to 17 years who reported playing video games in the last 12 months (n = 646). On average, participants were 15 years old. Just over half (58%) were male. Most participants were not employed (68%) and had parents who lived together (77%).

Sampling Procedure: The researchers recruited a purposive sample. This is because there is a low prevalence of gaming disorder (GD) among adolescents. A sample of Australians aged 12 to 17 years were recruited using Qualtrics, an online panel aggregator. Participants had to (1) be between 12 and 17 years, (2) live in New South Wales, Australia, (3) have permission from their parents to participate, and (4) provide informed consent.

Study Funding:

Funding for this study was provided by the NSW Government’s Responsible Gambling Fund, with support from the NSW Office of Responsible Gambling.