Gaming-gambling convergence: evaluating evidence for the ‘gateway’ hypothesis

Paul Delfabbro and Daniel L. King

International Gambling Studies, 2020, vol. 20, issue 3, 380-392

Abstract: Similarities between video-games and gambling have led to the proposition that video-gaming could act as a ‘gateway’ activity for gambling. In this paper, we review the major lines of evidence advanced to support this idea, including evidence for the co-occurrence of the two activities; the relationship between problem gambling and problem gaming; and, studies of gambling and loot boxes. Our review suggests that, at best, only a small correlation exists between overall gambling and video-game engagement and this may often be accounted for by underlying demographic and personality variables. We find even less evidence to support a direct relationship between problem gaming and problem gambling. However, problem gambling symptoms appear to be positively related to loot-box purchases. Gamblers who play video-games may be attracted to features that enable them to engage in risk-taking via familiar systems of variable reinforcement. Less evidence supports the view that loot-boxes encourage gambling or facilitate an entry point into other types of gambling, including those associated with gaming (e.g. esports betting). Overall, this review found little convincing evidence in support of the ‘gateway hypothesis’ and suggests that further longitudinal research is necessary to strengthen our understanding of the links between video-gaming and gambling.

Date: 2020
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/14459795.2020.1768430 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:intgms:v:20:y:2020:i:3:p:380-392

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/RIGS20

DOI: 10.1080/14459795.2020.1768430

Access Statistics for this article

International Gambling Studies is currently edited by Katie Donnelly, David Marshall, Bronwyn Stuart, Alex Blaszczynski and Jan McMillen

More articles in International Gambling Studies from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().