Do Social Casino Gamers Migrate to Online Gambling? An Assessment of Migration Rate and Potential Predictors

Kim, Hyoun S.; Wohl, Michael J. A.; Salmon, Melissa; Gupta, Rina; Derevensky, Jeffrey L.

doi:10.1007/s10899-014-9511-0

Cited by 91 publications

(83 citation statements)

References 15 publications

(25 reference statements)

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“…As gambling enters the digital age and converges with other digital media, including video games, clear-cut distinctions between the two activities begin to disappear (King et al, 2015). One of the biggest changes in the division between gambling and video game playing is the existence of social media games, that is, games played via social networking sites such as Facebook (Derevensky & Gainsbury, in press;Kim, Wohl, Salmon, Gupta, & Derevensky, 2015). Among adolescents, one quarter have engaged in simulated gambling in a video game (either as a bonus feature or as a virtual gambling experience; King et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gambling and Video Game Playing Among Youth

McBride¹,

Derevensky²

2017

JGI

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Gambling and video game playing represent two leisure activities in which adolescents and young adults participate. There are psychological and behavioural parallels between some forms of gambling (e.g., slot machines, video lottery terminals, electronic gambling machines) and some types of video games (e.g., arcade games). Both activities operate on behavioural principles of variable reinforcement schedules in order to reward and prolong play and use exciting and stimulating sound and light effects within game play. Additionally, both activities have similar negative effects associated with excessive play (e.g., poor academic performance, moodiness, loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed, and interpersonal conflict). Thus, there is concern that children and adolescents who are attracted to video games, for both psychological rewards and the challenge, may be at greater risk to gamble. We examined the gambling and video game playing behaviour among 1,229 adolescents and young adults. Results indicate that gamblers, relative to non-gamblers, were more likely to play video games. Video game players were more likely than nonplayers to gamble. Both social and problem gamblers had higher rates of video game playing than did non-gamblers, and addicted gamers had higher rates of gambling than did social and non-gamers. Results from the current study suggest significant overlap in youth participation in both gambling activities and video game playing. These results have implications for future research and the treatment of problem gambling and video game addiction.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gambling and Video Game Playing Among Youth

McBride¹,

Derevensky²

2017

JGI

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“…However, social casino gaming is becoming more recognized in academic literature for its link to gambling activities (Abarbanel & Rahman, 2015). For example, recent studies have reported on migration rates from SCGs to gambling (Kim, Wohl, Salmon, Gupta, & Derevensky, 2015) and the positive association between SCG play with gambling problems (Gainsbury et al., in press). Research evidence suggests that social games are popular among young adults (i.e., worldwide prevalence of 6% in the 18–21 age range; Parke, Wardle, Rigbye, & Parke, 2013) and youth are actively involved in or otherwise exposed to advertising for SCGs (Wood & Griffiths, 2007; Ipsos MORI, 2009; King, Delfabbro, Kaptsis, & Zwaans, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…SCGs may be attractive to adolescent populations due to their aesthetic properties and licensing (e.g., designs, graphics, characters, and brands of interest to younger people), integration within online social networks where young people frequently socialize and earn peer recognition (Gainsbury et al., 2014), and their similarity to gambling products which may be perceived as a desirable adult activity (Allen, Madden, Brooks, & Najman, 2008; Bramley & Gainsbury, 2015; King, Delfabbro, & Griffiths, 2010). However, there is only preliminary evidence on whether SCG activity may contribute to changes in the incidence and prevalence of gambling and potential problems associated with gambling (Gainsbury, Hing, Delfabbro, Dewar, & King, 2015; Griffiths, King, & Delfabbro, 2012; Kim et al., 2015; King et al., 2014). A study of 409 SCG users by Kim et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A study of 409 SCG users by Kim et al. (2015) reported that spending in SCGs was a unique predictor of migration from SCGs to online gambling. Another study of 521 adult SCG users found that 10% reported that their gambling involvement had increased as a result of SCGs and 19% reported that they had gambled as a direct result of these games (Gainsbury, Russell, King, Delfabbro, & Hing, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The cost of virtual wins: An examination of gambling-related risks in youth who spend money on social casino games

King¹,

Russell²,

Gainsbury³

et al. 2016

J Behav Addict

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Background and aimsSocial casino games (SCGs) are not technically considered a form of gambling but they do enable players to spend money in a game that is gambling themed or structurally approximate to gambling. It has been theorized that SCGs could be a gateway to gambling activities or otherwise normalize the experience of gambling for young people, particularly when money becomes involved. The aim of this study was to investigate whether adolescents’ financial expenditure in SCGs was associated with broader gambling activity, including level of participation, expenditure, and problem gambling symptoms.Methods An online survey was administered to 555 adolescents, including 130 SCG players (78 non-paying and 52 paying users).Results Paying SCG users tended to be employed males who play more frequently and engage in more SCG activities, who report more symptoms of problem gambling and higher psychological distress than non-paying SCG users. Paying SCG users reported more frequent engagement and spending in monetary gambling activities, and two-thirds of SCG payers recalled that their SCG use had preceded involvement in financial gambling.Discussion and conclusions Spending in simulated gambling activities by adolescents may be a risk factor for problem gambling. Although SCGs may currently defy classification as a form of gambling, these activities will likely continue to be scrutinized by regulators for the use of dubious or exploitative payment features offered in a gambling-themed format that is available to persons of all ages.

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“…It is well established that social casino games have become immensely popular on social media sites, with over 173 million active players worldwide (Martin, 2014). However, there is still a paucity of research that has examined whether there is a link between playing social casino games and subsequent online gambling (for exceptions see Gainsbury, Russell, & Hing, 2014; Kim, Wohl, Salmon, Gupta, & Derevensky, 2015). It has been argued, however, that the greatest harms of social casino games may be introducing online gambling to people who have never gambled online (Derevensky & Gainsbury, 2016).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

From the mouths of social media users: A focus group study exploring the social casino gaming–online gambling link

Kim¹,

Wohl²,

Gupta³

et al. 2016

J Behav Addict

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Background and aimsThe potential link between social casino gaming and online gambling has raised considerable concerns among clinicians, researchers and policy makers. Unfortunately, however, there is a paucity of research examining this potential link, especially among young adults. This represents a significant gap given young adults are frequently exposed to and are players of social casino games.MethodsTo better understand the potential link between social casino games and online gambling, we conducted three focus groups (N = 30) at two large Canadian Universities with college students who were avid social media users (who are regularly exposed to social casino games).ResultsMany participants spontaneously mentioned that social casino games were a great opportunity to build gambling skills before playing for real money. Importantly, some participants expressed a belief that there is a direct progression from social casino gaming to online gambling. Conversely, others believed the transition to online gambling depended on a person’s personality, rather than mere exposure to social casino games. While many young adults in our focus groups felt immune to the effects of social casino games, there was a general consensus that social casino games may facilitate the transition to online gambling among younger teenagers (i.e., 12–14 yr olds), due to the ease of accessibility and early exposure.DiscussionThe results of the present research point to the need for more study on the effects of social casino gambling as well as a discussion concerning regulation of social casino games in order to minimize their potential risks.

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Do Social Casino Gamers Migrate to Online Gambling? An Assessment of Migration Rate and Potential Predictors

Cited by 91 publications

References 15 publications

Gambling and Video Game Playing Among Youth

Gambling and Video Game Playing Among Youth

The cost of virtual wins: An examination of gambling-related risks in youth who spend money on social casino games

From the mouths of social media users: A focus group study exploring the social casino gaming–online gambling link

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