They were then asked about their gaming and gambling habits. Further research is urgently needed.'įor the study, a group of just under 1,100 participants were quota-sampled to represent the UK population in terms of age, gender, and ethnicity. This may pose an important public health risk. All of them are linked to problem gambling, and all seem prevalent. 'When we go beyond loot boxes, we can see that there are multiple novel practices in gaming that incorporate elements of gambling. The research provides evidence that players who engage in these practices are also more likely to suffer from disordered gaming - a condition where persistent and repeated engagement with video games causes an individual significant impairment or distress.Īuthor of the study, Dr David Zendle from the Department of Computer Science at the University of York, said: 'These findings suggest that the relationship between gaming and problem gambling is more complex than many people think.'
Building on previous research by the same author, which exposed a link between problem gambling and video game loot boxes, the new study suggests that a number of other practices in video games, such as token wagering, real-money gaming, and social casino spending, are also significantly linked to problem gambling.
