Lynnae is a journalist covering the intersection of technology, culture, and gambling. She has more than five years of experience as a writer and editor, with bylines at SlashGear and MakeUseOf. On the iGaming side,...
Read Full BioNew research out of Norway has found that young people who show symptoms of gaming problems are much more likely to gamble, especially girls, as gaming disorder rates have doubled in the past 15 years.
The University of Bergen’s Norwegian Competence Center for Gaming and Gambling Research (SPILLFORSK) conducted the nationwide survey. The Norwegian Gambling Authority commissioned the report, which surveyed 8,793 students aged 12 to 17 across 93 schools.
The study found that almost all the boys surveyed (97%) and more than four in five girls (81%) had played computer games within the last six months.
Using the Game Addiction Scale for Adolescents, researchers found that 13 percent of respondents met the criteria for problem gaming and 2 percent for gaming addiction, which are about twice as high as those recorded in the 2010 national study.
According to the report, “the more involved a person was in computer games (from non-gambling to addicted), the greater the likelihood of participating in gambling, especially for girls.”
Gambling Down Overall, but Riskier Play Increasing
Although gambling participation has dropped significantly among adolescents since 2010 (from 64% to 19%), researchers explained that those who do gamble are engaging in higher-risk activities, such as online casinos, sports betting, and poker.
About 7.1% of respondents met the criteria for a gambling problem, compared with roughly 12% in the earlier study. However, the report points to a consistent pattern: the more severe a teen’s gaming problem, the more likely they were to gamble and to experience gambling-related problems.
This was especially true for girls, with their gambling problems increasing in step with the severity of their gaming problems. Boys didn’t show a similar pattern until they were between the ages of 15 and 17, which suggests that older male teens with gaming problems are more likely to gamble than younger ones.
As far as both genders are concerned, poor health, smoking, alcohol use, bullying, and low socioeconomic status were all associated with gambling problems. However, when parents monitored their children, it appeared to have a protective effect for both boys and girls.
Loot Boxes & Skin Betting
The study looks at how features like loot boxes, skin purchases, and simulated gambling, described in the report as “grey-zone” activities, can act as potential bridges to real gambling.
Around 45% of survey respondents said they’d played simulated gambling games. These titles mimic gambling games but don’t use real money.
University of Bergen professor Ståle Pallesen, who led the research, stated, “Through simulated gambling, young people are socialized into gambling, they learn the technical skills, but they learn a distorted reality where it is easy to win. It is clearly problematic when these young people get older and are exposed to other gambling games.”
In addition to simulated gambling, just under 28% of respondents reported buying loot boxes in the past year. The study defines loot boxes as “virtual wonder packages sold in video games.” They may contain virtual skins or in-game benefits, and players can purchase them with real money or in-game currency.
The study found that young people who’d bought loot boxes participated in gambling more often and had higher rates of both gaming and gambling problems than those who did not.
The problem with loot boxes among young people has become so widespread that Spain has launched a national campaign to warn of the gambling risks associated with these chance-based game features.
Researchers observed a similar pattern among those who purchased or bet “skins,” cosmetic in-game items with real-world value, with one in six high school students saying they’d participated in skin betting.
According to SPILLFORSK, these findings point to a “grey zone” between gaming and gambling, where gambling-like elements are used in non-gambling games, which may normalize risk-taking behavior for minors.
Atle Hamar, Director of the Lottery and Foundations Authority, responded to the report, saying: “It is serious that activities that mimic gambling, such as loot boxes and skin betting, are a gateway to gambling. We are very concerned that this could lead to more young people developing gambling problems.”
Gender Differences & Risk Factors
The study found clear gender divides in gaming and gambling behaviors. The research indicates that gaming remains an overwhelmingly male-dominated activity. However, girl gamers, especially those with gaming problems, are proportionally more likely to develop gambling issues than their male counterparts.
Researchers have determined that several factors may contribute to the gender gap. For girls, psychological distress, experiences of bullying, and lower socioeconomic status appear to drive both gaming and gambling problems.
When it comes to boys, risk factors include energy-drink consumption, alcohol use, and higher physical activity levels. While loneliness is a contributing factor for both genders, its link to gambling risk is more pronounced for boys.
The report also found that more than 80% of respondents had seen gaming advertisements in the previous month, and 71% had seen gambling ads, despite Norway’s restrictions on gambling marketing.
The survey shows that while there’s been a sharp drop in gambling participation among Norwegian teens, those who do participate are more likely to gamble online at online casinos or play internet poker.
“It is worrying that young people in this age group are playing these types of games as they are considered to have high addictive potential and therefore have an 18-year age limit,” Hamar said.
As Europe works to address online gambling addiction among young people, these findings add context to the wider debate.
