Beyond loot boxes: a variety of gambling-like practices in video games are linked to both problem gambling and disordered gaming

Abstract

A variety of practices have recently emerged which relate to both video games and gambling. These range from opening loot boxes, to esports betting, real-money video gaming, token wagering, and social casino spending. It is unknown either how harmful or how widespread many of these activities are. A sample of 1,081 adults from the UK aged 18+ was therefore recruited. This sample was purposively recruited via quota sampling to represent the UK population in terms of sex, age, and ethnicity. Engagement in all forms of gaming-related practices were significantly associated with both problem gambling and disordered gaming. A total of 18.5% of the sample had engaged in these activities at least once in the new year. These results suggest a convergent ecosystem of practices that relate to both video games and gambling. Engagement in each of these activities is linked to problem gambling. However, it remains unclear whether engagement in these activities causes problem gambling.