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OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION

THE CONVERGENCE OF GAMBLING AND GAMING ADDICTIONS Dr Mark Griffiths Professor of Gambling Studies International Gaming Research Unit Nottingham Trent University mark.griffiths@ntu.ac.uk. OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION. Addiction (key questions and definitions) Technological addictions

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OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION

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  1. THE CONVERGENCE OF GAMBLING AND GAMING ADDICTIONSDr Mark GriffithsProfessor of Gambling StudiesInternational Gaming Research UnitNottingham Trent Universitymark.griffiths@ntu.ac.uk

  2. OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION • Addiction (key questions and definitions) • Technological addictions • Generic factors in facilitating internet use • Internet addiction typologies • Online gambling addiction • Online gaming addictions • Conclusions

  3. KEY ADDICTION QUESTIONS(Griffiths, 1998) • What is addiction? • Do online addictions to gambling and gaming exist? • If they exist what are people actually addicted to?

  4. ADDICTION COMPONENTS(Griffiths, 1995; 1996; 2005; 2009) • Salience • Mood modification • Tolerance • Withdrawal • Conflict • Relapse

  5. TECHNOLOGICAL ADDICTIONS(Griffiths, 1995; 2008) • Technological addictions are operationally defined as non-chemical (behavioural) addictions that involve excessive human-machine interaction • Usually contain inducing and reinforcing features which may contribute to the promotion of addictive tendencies • Feature all the core components of addiction

  6. GENERIC FACTORS THAT FACILITATE INTERNET USE(Griffiths, 2003) • Access • Affordability • Anonymity • Convenience • Disinhibition • Escape • Social acceptability

  7. INTERNET ADDICTION TYPOLOGY (Young 1999) • Cybersexual addiction: Compulsive use of adult websites for cybersex and cyberporn • Cyber-relationship addiction:Over-involvement in online relationships • Net compulsions: Obsessive online gambling, shopping • Information overload:Compulsive web surfing or database searches • Computer addiction: Obsessive computer game playing (e.g. Doom, Myst, Solitaire etc.)

  8. Many of these excessive users are not "Internet addicts" • Just use the Internet excessively as a medium to fuel other addictions (Griffiths, 1999, 2000) • The Internet is just the place where they engage in the behaviour • There are case study reports of individuals who appear to be addicted to the Internet itself (Griffiths, 2000b; Young, 1998)

  9. These are usually people who use Internet chat rooms or play fantasy role playing games (activities that they would not engage in except on the Internet itself) • Engaged in text-based virtual realities and take on other personas and social identities as a way of raising self-esteem • Internet may provide an alternative reality to the user and allow them feelings of immersion and anonymity

  10. TRENDS IN GAMBLING (Griffiths, 2006) • Gambling becoming more technologised • Gambling becoming more convenient and accessible • Gambling coming out of gambling environments • Gambling becoming more anonymous and "asocial” • Gambling converging with other technologies

  11. INTERNET GAMBLING: KEY EMPIRICAL FINDINGS • Internet gamblers were more likely to be male, relatively young adults, single, well educated, and in professional/managerial employment (Griffiths et al, 2009; Wardle et al, 2011). • Problem gambling prevalence rate is significantly higher among Internet gamblers than non-Internet gamblers (Griffiths et al, 2009; 2010; Wood, Griffiths & Parke, 2007; Griffiths & Barnes, 2008). • Adolescents are gambling on the Internet (Wood, Griffiths, et al, 2007; Ipsos MORI, 2009; Griffiths & Parke, 2010). • Increasing numbers of women gambling remotely and gender swapping is common(IGRU, 2007;Griffiths et al, 2007).

  12. INTERNET GAMBLING AND PROBLEM GAMBLING(Griffiths & Auer, 2011; Kuss & Griffiths, 2012) • A number of empirical studies have reported that problem gambling is more prevalent among internet gamblers than non-internet gamblers • Only one study has been published that compared internet gamblers and non-internet gamblers using a nationally representative sample • Griffiths et al (2009) DSM-IV scores showed that problem gambling prevalence rate was significantly higher among Internet gamblers than non-Internet gamblers (5% vs 0.5%)

  13. However, medium of the internet could be a less protective environment for vulnerable gamblers (e.g., problem gamblers) • More importantly, what exactly is an “online gambler”? (Wardle & Griffiths, 2011) • Very few people only gamble online – most online gamblers also gamble offline. Therefore, the internet merely provides ‘convenience’ gambling

  14. BGPS 2010 SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS(Wardle, Moody, Griffiths, Orford & Volberg, 2011) • One of the aims was to explore whether any there were any differences in profile between people who choose to gamble in certain modes and consider, briefly, whether gambling behaviour varied between these groups (n=7756) • Offline gambling only (80.5%; 0.9%/0.4%) • Online gambling only (2.1%; 0%) • Mixed mode gambling - different activities (6.8%; 4.3%/3.4%) • Mixed mode gambling – same activities (10.6%; 2.4%/0.8%)

  15. ONLINE GAMBLING CONCLUSIONS • Technology is changing the way: • gamblers are playing games • gamblers are being tracked • gamblers are being marketed to • gamblers are receiving help • Problem gambling appears to be more prevalent online although this doesn’t necessarily mean the online medium is more ‘dangerous’

  16. ONLINE GAMING ADDICTION (1) • Studies have shown gaming increases arousal (e.g., Segal & Dietz, 1991; Griffiths & Dancaster, 1993; Lim & Lee, 2008) • Early adolescent studies indicate that gaming addiction may exist and that 5-7% of children play games for over 30 hours a week (Fisher, 1994;Griffiths & Hunt, 1995; 1998; Phillips et al, 1995; Griffiths, 1997) • More recently, studies on MMORPGs also suggest gaming addiction exists (Tejeiro-Delguero & Moran, 2002; Salguero et al, 2002; Chui, et al, 2004; Leung, 2004; Wan & Chiou, 2006; Grusser et al, 2007; Hart et al, 2008; Brody, 2008; Hart et al, 2008; Rehbein et al, 2010; Mehroof & Griffiths, 2010; Spekman et al, 2013)

  17. ONLINE GAMING ADDICTION (2)(Kuss & Griffiths, 2012a; 2012b) • Reviewed over 60 empirical studies on internet gaming addiction • Argued that gaming addiction follows a continuum • Antecedents in etiology and risk factors, through to the development of an addiction • Gaming addiction associated with various personality traits (e.g., introversion, sensation-seeking, neuroticism, state/trait anxiety, low emotional intelligence, social inhibition)

  18. Terminologies and assessment of addiction was variable (e.g., problem video game playing, problematic online game use, video game addiction, online gaming addiction) • Excessive (problematic) engagement found in approx 8-12% of young persons, whereas addiction seems to be present in 2-5% of children, teenagers and students.

  19. INTERNET GAMING DISORDER CRITERIA (DSM-5; APA 2013) • Irrespective of model, the components/dimensions that comprise online gaming addiction are very similar to the IGD criteria in the DSM-5. • For instance, the six addiction components directly map onto the nine proposed criteria for IGD • (Of which five or more need to be endorsed and resulting in clinically significant impairment).

  20. INTERNET GAMING DISORDER CRITERIA (DSM-5; APA 2013) • (1) Preoccupation with internet games[salience] • (2) Withdrawal symptoms when internet gaming is taken away[withdrawal] • (3) The need to spend increasing amounts of time engaged in internet gaming [tolerance] • (4) Unsuccessful attempts to control participation in internet gaming [relapse/loss of control] • (5) Loss of interest in hobbies and entertainment as a result of, and with the exception of, internet gaming[conflict]

  21. (6) continued excessive use of internet games despite knowledge of psychosocial problems[conflict] • (7) deception of family members, therapists, or others regarding the amount of internet gaming [conflict] • (8) use of the internet gaming to escape or relieve a negative mood[mood modification] • (9) loss of a significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity because of participation in internet games[conflict]

  22. NEUROBIOLOGY OF GAMING ADDICTION • A recent systematic review of 18 neuroimaging studies examining internet addiction (Kuss & Griffiths, 2012) noted: • “These studies provide compelling evidence for the similarities between different types of addictions, notably substance-related addictions and Internet and gaming addiction, on a variety of levels. On the molecular level, Internet addiction is characterized by an overall reward deficiency that entails decreased dopaminergic activity. On the level of neural circuitry, Internet and gaming addiction lead to neuroadaptation and structural changes that occur as a consequence of prolonged increased activity in brain areas associated with addiction. On a behavioral level, Internet and gaming addicts appear to be constricted with regards to their cognitive functioning in various domains”(p.347).

  23. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS • Online gambling and gaming addictions appear to exist (depending upon addiction criteria used) and are converging • Despite the many positive consequences, online activities can be negative to a minority. • In this case, the medium may be more harmful for susceptible individuals

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