GAMBLING AND VIDEO GAMING

An FAQ for Parents and Caregivers

April 2023

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FAQ

Is gaming and gambling a real problem for youth?

How can I tell the difference between problem behavior and normal behavior? 

What can I do to prevent problematic behavior or intervene when necessary?

Video games can be fun, challenging, and community-building. They provide a welcome escape for kids and teens, and a way to socialize with faraway friends. However, problematic video game use is a growing concern among parents, clinicians, and researchers alike. For some, gaming starts to look a lot like an addiction, including neglect of family and school obligations, preoccupation with games, and using games to ignore real life problems.

Further complicating the issue, video game companies have started to shift their primary revenue from game sales to in-game purchases. These strategies go beyond a 1-1 exchange in the game however. Instead of getting an in-game upgrade for a set amount of real-world money, video game purchases often incorporate elements of chance, where players can spend real money for a random reward with items like “loot boxes.” If this sounds like gambling to you, then you are not alone.

Other games simulate gambling by requiring the up-front purchase of tokens for game play rather than in-game purchases and replicate the visual and auditory elements of a casino environment.

Unlike real-world gambling, these “gambling elements” are unregulated, but they still put kids at risk for the same problems gambling does. Research indicates greater spending on loot boxes is connected to problematic gambling in general, greater psychological distress, and greater risk for problematic gaming, in addition to the financial costs of excessive spending on these features.

Is gaming and gambling a real problem for youth?

“Research and clinical evidence consistently show that early exposure to and engagement in gambling is a risk factor for developing gambling problems. Our research shows that for some young people, playing gambling-themed games increases favorable attitudes towards gambling and subsequent use of real gambling. Paying to play simulated gambling increases the likelihood of transitioning to gambling by increasing the psychological proximity between the activities.”
- Professor Sally Gainsbury, PhD, University of Sydney, Director – Gambling Treatment & Research Clinic
“Anywhere between three and five percent of adolescents are what we call probable, pathological, or compulsive or disordered gamblers. Another 8 to 15% are at risk for developing a problem.”
- Jeffrey Derevensky, PhD, James McGill Professor of Educational and Counseling Psychology, Professor of Psychiatry, and Director of the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High Risk Behaviors, McGill University

“Playing video games, as well as watching the streaming of other gamers’ playing, has become one of the most popular activities among children and adolescents. There is a risk that young people will lose control over their video game play.

 - Zsolt Demetrovics, PhD, Chair of the Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar and Professor of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University
“[In 2019,] 23% of the 11 to 16 year olds that we spoke to had paid money to open a loot box to get in-game items. [In] mobile gaming, … many of them feature gambling mechanisms like roulette wheels and slot machines and use gambling vocabulary, further normalizing that behavior.”
- Kev Clelland, Director of Insight and Engagement, YGAM
“In many video games today, the player can spend an unlimited amount of money, as compared to in the past when a video game would cost the price of purchasing the software. Policymakers and regulators in many countries have recognised and are attempting to address the potential financial harms.”
- Leon Xiao, LLM, PhD fellow, IT University of Copenhagen, Visiting Scholar, Queen Mary University of London
“Loot boxes are items [in] games that can be bought with real world money, but which contain randomized contents…the top 59% of mobile games, top grossing mobile games, have loot boxes.”
- David Zendle, PhD, Lecturer of Computer Science, University of York
“Social casinos are games in which you could spend real money to buy gambling chips. You can engage in simulated gambling activities, [but] you can never cash out your earnings. Because of that, they're not typically regulated as gambling products by governments and thus are available to youth and have a wide uptake amongst youth.”
- David Zendle, PhD, Lecturer of Computer Science, University of York

How can I tell the difference between problem behavior and normal behavior?

“In terms of the signs of harm, it is that gaming to a degree that compromises, disrupts, or damages those family, personal and recreational pursuits. So it's not  just the financial harm that that person is experiencing. They might not even be experiencing financial harm.”

- Kev Clelland, Director of Insight and Engagement, YGAM

“I would suggest that if your child is willing to speak openly about the games they play and how much they are spending, then you should speak to them. By doing so, you would be able to have a better grasp of whether you think they might be having a potentially harmful experience. If you choose and filter certain games based on their potentially harmful features using online resources (whilst explaining why you are doing so to your child if possible), you might also be able to better shield your child from potential harms.”

- Leon Xiao, LLM, PhD fellow, IT University of Copenhagen, Visiting Scholar, Queen Mary University of London

“Problem gambling occurs when the behavior starts to impact your child's daily activities. We often see one or more of the following behaviors:

  • Preoccupation with gambling (reliving past gambling experiences, watching gambling-related shows and increased interest in sports betting, thinking about ways to get money to gamble)
  • Tolerance (the need to gamble more often with greater amounts of money)
  • Loss of control (the inability to curtail or stop gambling)
  • Withdrawal, restlessness or irritability when attempting to cut down or stop gambling
  • Escape (using gambling as a way of escaping problems)
  • Chasing behaviors (trying to catch up and recoup losses by continued gambling)
  • Lies about the extent of their gambling to important people
  • Illegal acts (performs illegal acts to continue to gamble. This often starts at home)
  • Risks education and/or a relationship because of gambling”

- Jeffrey Derevensky, PhD, James McGill Professor of Educational and Counseling Psychology, Professor of Psychiatry, and Director of the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High Risk Behaviors, McGill University

What can I do to prevent problematic behavior or intervene when necessary?

“Try to encourage gaming in groups rather than as a solitary activity. This will lead to children and adolescents talking and working together. Also remember that many online games are based on social activity and working together. Research has consistently shown that the main reason for playing online games is for the social element.”
- Mark Griffiths, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Behavioural Addiction, Director, International Gaming Research Unit, Nottingham Trent University
“Parents should not be purchasing scratch lottery tickets or gambling with their underage youth because we know that early gambling is a predictor of later problem gambling when they get older.”
- Jeffrey Derevensky, PhD, James McGill Professor of Educational and Counseling Psychology, Professor of Psychiatry, and Director of the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High Risk Behaviors, McGill University
“You should play the video games that your child plays, and you should also talk to them about the games that they play, because quite often you have situations where the information that you're hoping to obtain is not something that you can just Google. You would actually have to go inside the game to be able to find that information.”
- Leon Xiao, LLM, PhD fellow, IT University of Copenhagen, Visiting Scholar, Queen Mary University of London
“The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) introduced this label, “In-game purchases (Includes Random Items)”. If a game contains loot boxes or any other in-game purchases with a randomized element, the ESRB will put that label underneath the age rating and this will be displayed both on the physical packaging or in relation to games that you simply download digitally…Look out for these labels. If you see a game has this label, then you know that that game definitely has loot boxes. This would be a way for you to identify these mechanics to address the potential harms. However, unfortunately, we know that many games with loot boxes on mobile platforms do not have the label accurately attached. So you need to be cautious with unlabelled games and try playing them yourself or search for relevant information online.”
- Leon Xiao, LLM, PhD fellow, IT University of Copenhagen, Visiting Scholar, Queen Mary University of London

“Follow the PLAY Rules from Young Gamers and Gambler’s Education Trust (YGAM).

    • Play with your kids. Understand the games that they are playing and why they play them. Talk to them about gaming. Show that real keen interest to understand what they're involved with. You'll understand which of those games are potentially riskier for them to be playing.
    • Learn about those family controls. Obviously there's a whole variety of them…but try and follow some of the great advice websites that are out there. 
    • Ask your kids what they think. Discuss those ground rules before putting any restrictions in place.
    • You’re in charge. You don't have to be an expert to have these conversations with young people. Let them be clear. Set those restrictions that work for your family.”
- Kev Clelland, Director of Insight and Engagement, YGAM
“Parents need to look out for any gambling simulations or mechanisms in games. Ideally, these should be avoided. For older teens, parents can discuss marketing and monetisation techniques used to encourage consumer spend and how to spot and avoid these.”
- Professor Sally Gainsbury, PhD, University of Sydney, Director – Gambling Treatment & Research Clinic

“Parents can do a lot to reduce this risk. Some tips:

  • Help your child to plan and schedule time for playing. Video game use should not become an “anytime” and limitless activity. You can dedicate time to it, and if you do, that can help to keep the activity under control.
  • Monitor and help your child to monitor his/her video game use. This can help them be mindful of the time they spend gaming and learn how to self-regulate it.
  • Be interested in what your child is playing. Get involved and try to understand what they enjoy in gaming. Play together with him/her. This will help you to understand the games and your child’s motives and will allow you to have a shared platform to discuss related issues.”
- Zsolt Demetrovics, PhD, Chair of the Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar and Professor of Psychology,  ELTE Eötvös Loránd University
“Talk to your child about gaming (and gambling too), and the risk they face of it becoming a problematic behavior or even addiction. The YGAM, Screen Time Action Network and Center for Humane Technology websites have terrific resources available for both you and your child. Reach out to an experienced mental health professional if gaming, gambling or digital media is overly affecting your child.”
- Nadja Streiter, LMSW, IGDC, Digital Addiction Specialist, Eyes Up Wellness
“Limit game play at home and help older children come up with a plan to track and limit their gaming on their own. This can be in the form of blocking or monitoring apps or setting up parental controls on consoles and gaming services. Teens can do this for themselves but there is no shame in asking their parents to do it for them.”
- Nadja Streiter, LMSW, IGDC, Digital Addiction Specialist, Eyes Up Wellness
“Set limits on playing time. Tell children and adolescents that they can play for a couple of hours as a reward after they have done their homework or their chores - not before.”
- Mark Griffiths, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Behavioural Addiction, Director, International Gaming Research Unit, Nottingham Trent University
Set Goals

Encourage your child to make a list of things they want to do or accomplish with their extra time. Maybe they want to
learn a new skill or spend more time practicing an old one, see friends, read a book, make something from scratch,
or help someone in need. Everyone in the family can make their own list, and then together you can work towards
completing them.

Go Screen-Free

If you haven’t already done so, agree upon spaces in home or specific times all screens will be put away. This might
include meal times, car rides, or specific family events like game nights or walks in the park. Some families take a
“digital Sabbath” once during a weekend. Phones and other personal screens are completely out of sight during these
times. Don’t forget to follow this rule yourself, too!

Spice Up Mealtime Convo

Make family dinnertime more interesting with conversation starters and leave your screens off the table. Ask
questions like, if you could travel back in time, when would it be? If you would travel anywhere in the world,
where would it be? Ask each family member to name one thing that they are curious about. Have each child
share what he or she would like to be when they grow up. Look online for some interesting statistics from 2022 and
ask your family questions like, What country in the world consumes the most candy per capita per year? Who
was the most influential thinker who ever lived? Bring up an issue and try arguing for or against. You may
be surprised how much your family has to say!

Embrace Boredom

It’s okay to be bored! Resist the urge to hand over a screen and let your child sit in their boredom. It might be
uncomfortable at first, but it has many benefits for developing (and overworked) brains, including self-awareness,
creativity, and rest.

Create And Explore Together

Breaks are the perfect time to work together on a family project. Wax nostalgic sharing old family stories your kids
might not know, looking back at and organizing or digitizing old photos, and/ or exploring your ancestors’ journeys
by creating a family genealogy. Creating new spaces in your home or working on a family art project to hang in the
kitchen are also great ways to spend time together and give everyone a sense of purpose and accomplishment.

Find Balance

When school is out, it can be tempting to go into full relaxation mode. Encourage your children to use this time for
personal growth, or learning things they may not have time for during a usual school week. This time can be balanced
with time for general entertainment or rest, and you may even set different screen time allowances for each. Whether
just having fun, learning something new, or connecting with friends and family – on screens or off screens – it’s
important to help your children find balance in their time spent doing different activities.

Get Engaged

Try to take your own break from work and other responsibilities to engage in screen-free fun with your child.
Brainstorm media free things you can do, like a trip to the zoo, a walk around the neighborhood, a scavenger hunt
(indoors or outdoors, depending on weather), or building a fort! The options are endless and can take anywhere from
5 minutes to a whole day - so get creative and encourage your children to do the same.

Take Breaks

If your children are getting screen time, make sure they take a 10-15 minute break every hour or so. This break can
be anything that doesn’t involve technology, but the more active or social the break, the better. This will help
“reset” their brain and prevent tech overload.

Take Time For Others

Make time for acts of service. Serve food at a local soup kitchen or help at a community garden, or donate clothing,
food, or toys. Research options in your community, encourage your teens to help with the search, and give back as a
family

Share The Love

Encourage everyone in your household to share the love with someone each and every day! Give a hug (to someone in
your house!), write a personal holiday card, create a homemade holiday gift, enjoy each person’s favorite meal just
because it’s their favorite, send a holiday music video to grandma and grandpa – the possibilities are endless!

Stick To Routine

It’s okay to make some exceptions during holiday breaks, especially if extracurricular activities are on hold, but
try to stick to your usual routines and rules around screen time, including no screen time before bed! If you’re
going to allow additional screen time during breaks, try to incorporate it earlier in the day.

Stay Connected

Adolescence is marked by the increasing importance of friendships, but holidays with family can make in-person peer
socializing difficult. Encourage face-to-face gatherings, but also allow space for your teen to actively connect
with their friends online, whether that’s through video chatting, texting, gaming, or active communication on social
media. Establish ground rules early to make sure this time is limited and balanced with time for family and other
activities.

Motivational Interview Activity

Motivational interviews are conversations that can help children understand their own motivations for change. Having
these conversations can help children find their own reasons for reducing screen time and engaging in other
activities. Here are guidelines from "Motivational Interviewing: A Primer for Child Welfare Professionals.”

  • When talking to kids about screen time, practice your OARS skills!
    • Open ended questions
    • Affirm a child’s experience
    • Reflect out-loud on what a child says
    • Summarize their reflections
  • Productive conversations can follow 4 phases. Importantly, they don’t have to happen in this order. Do what
    works best for you and your kids.
    • Engaging: Understand why a child is using screens.
      • Ask why a child is using screens. Maybe they miss their friends? Maybe they can’t think of
        anything else to do?
    • Focusing: Focus on a specific goal!
      • Keep things focused on reducing screen time.
    • Evoking: What are the child’s motivations to achieve that goal?
      • Does your child want a cleaner room, and why? Do they want to learn a new hobby? If they’re
        feeling isolated during a break, are there activities that would help?
    • Planning: Develop a plan to achieve that goal.
      • You can plan to organize their room for 1 hour a day. Or you can schedule time to practice
        something they’re interested in. The plan may also include identifying what help they need (a
        ride to the grocery store) to accomplish their goal.
Thanks to our experts!

We would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following experts through our Ask the Experts webinars, Guidelines for Parents, and Tips for Parents columns.

Jessica Hartshorn, Parents

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek,PhD, Temple University, Brookings Institution

Laura Markham, PhD, Aha! Parenting

Juliana Miner, MPH, George Mason University

Martin Paulus, MD, Laureate Institute for Brain Research

Arlene Pellicane, MA, author

Larry Rosen, PhD, California State University, Dominguez Hills

Yalda Uhls, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles

Notes

 1 Zendle D, Cairns P (2018) Video game loot boxes are linked to problem gambling: Results of a large-scale survey. PLoS ONE 13(11): e0206767. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0206767 pmid:30462669
2 Brooks GA, Clark L (2018) Associations between loot box use, problematic gaming and gambling, and gambling-related cognitions. Addict Behav. 96:26-34. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.04.009. PMID: 31030176.
3 Drummond A, Sauer JD, Ferguson CJ, Hall LC (2020) The relationship between problem gambling, excessive gaming, psychological distress and spending on loot boxes in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, and the United States—A cross-national survey. PLoS ONE 15(3): e0230378. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230378
4 Zendle D (2020) Beyond loot boxes: a variety of gambling-like practices in video games are linked to both problem gambling and disordered gaming. PeerJ. 14;8:e9466. doi: 10.7717/peerj.9466. PMID: 32742782; PMCID: PMC7367055.