Video Game Playing and Gambling in Adolescents: Common Risk Factors

• NCJ Number: 207879
• Journal: Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Dated: 2004 Pages: 77-100
• Author(s): Richard T. A. Wood; Rina Gupta; Jeffrey L. Derevensky; Mark Griffiths
• Date Published: 2004
• Length: 24 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined whether there is a link between video-game playing and gambling behavior among adolescents, with attention to whether the same youth are participating frequently in both of these activities and any common factors in excessive video-game playing and problem gambling.

Abstract

A total of 996 students (549 females, 441 males, and 6 unspecified) from grades 7-11 with ages from 10 to 17 participated in the study. All students were selected from five English-speaking public high schools in Montreal, Canada. A video-game and gambling questionnaire inquired about the nature of video-game playing and gambling activities. Information was also solicited on family history of gambling and drug, alcohol, and cigarette use. Overall, the study found a significant relationship between video-game playing and gambling among the adolescents surveyed; problem gamblers were significantly more likely than nonproblem gamblers or nongamblers to spend excessive amounts of time playing video games. Problem gamblers were also significantly more likely than nonproblem gamblers or nongamblers to rate themselves as very good or excellent video-game players. In addition, problem gamblers were more likely to report that they found video games to be similar to electronic machine gambling. Problem gamblers were also more likely to experience dissociation while gambling and to find gambling arousing and/or relaxing. The authors advise that the combination of intermittent rewards, stimulating sound and graphics, and the rapid interaction possible with such technologies may lead to a dramatic increase in gambling-related problems among youth. The focus of research and practice should be on how to minimize the negative impact of these activities through education and other prevention measures, as well as the identification of factors in youth associated with problem gambling behaviors. 10 tables and 34 references