Teen gamer = Gambling Junkies of tommorrow

jumphonner · Aug 21, 2009

Teen gamer = Gambling Junkies of tommorrow

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/...e-road-to-problem-gambling-20090821-es7e.html

TEENAGERS who play video games regularly are more likely to develop obsessive and antisocial tendencies that lead to problem gambling.
Researchers at the University of Adelaide surveyed 2669 teenagers aged between 13 and 17, and found 56 per cent had gambled in the past year. They also found 2.4 per cent became pathological gamblers by the time they were 18.
That was higher than the 2.1 per cent of adults found to be problem gamblers by the Productivity Commission in 1999, although the level of harm - such as losing a house or a relationship - was much lower for adolescents.
The paper, to be published in the Journal of Gambling Studies next month, found that teenage problem gamblers played arcade games three times more often than non-gamblers, and on average they played hand-held games and internet games more than twice as often.
One of its authors, Associate Professor Paul Delfabbro, said teenage boys were more likely to play video games and gamble regularly, which was one reason for the correlation.
''The other reason is that the sorts of kids who are playing video games probably do so because they've got less parental supervision,'' he said. ''They're probably bored; they probably don't have a lot of structured activity in their life.
''So the physical act of playing video games doesn't increase the risk of gambling but it is indicative of a pattern of leisure activity, which probably means you're going to find gambling an entertaining activity.''
Associate Professor Delfabbro said the levels of internet gambling and access to poker machines among adolescents had been kept relatively low compared with Britain and the US.
But a high proportion of teenagers who played video games went on to take part in some form of gambling, most commonly buying scratchies, playing card games, and playing poker machines.
A separate study by Associate Professor Delfabbro found that children who had gambled on a poker machine by the age of 16 were four times more likely to be regular gamblers by 19.
''They're putting money on private card games, they're betting on sporting events, they buy scratch tickets from newsagents,'' he said.
Dean Bryden, 22, said he began gambling at 14 and soon developed a habit of playing card games at home and on the internet.
His habit increased until he spent $180,000 in a single year, mainly playing blackjack and poker.
''It's an adrenaline rush for people,'' he said. ''I think the internet poker is a big thing because you don't have to be over the age of 18; it doesn't matter how old you are.
''You start off having some fun with your mates online and you end up at the casinos spending money.''
Liem Dang, 19, of Canterbury, has been playing video games since he was 12 and is also a gambler.
He said he saw the correlation between the two, as each could be social and competitive.
''I agree with the study,'' he said. ''I game for the social aspect and to put my abilities up against someone else and for gambling that happens as well. The sense of humiliation involved is also the same.''
Despite spending much of his time playing online games, he preferred not to gamble over the web and only used Facebook poker. ''I go to Star City around once a month. I would rather spend my money in the real world, I guess.''

Welshman · Aug 21, 2009

Ahhh Well at least it will keep the econemy going.......Oh wait pretty soon We won't be able to play PC or console games in Oz...There You go problem solved

MissBunny · Aug 21, 2009

ROFL!!!! As if we'd have any money left for gambling anyway, since Blizzard syphon so much out of our pockets. Hmmmm.... now how much have I spent on WOW????? Sssssh dont tell Sarge

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Teen gamer = Gambling Junkies of tommorrow

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