Young people who played video games daily during adolescence (aged 16-17 years) were not necessarily more likely to gamble as young adults (aged 18-19 years), but we found a link between playing simulated gambling games (such as Zynga Poker, Slotomania and Big Fish Casino) and real money gambling. We examine three main questions: (1) What are the effects of daily video gaming on real money gambling? (2) What are the effects of playing simulated gambling games on real money gambling? (3) What are the other main risk factors associated with gambling among young people? It explores whether young people who played video games frequently or played certain types of games in their adolescent years started real money gambling 1 when they reached the legal age for gambling in Australia (18 years). This snapshot examines the link between playing video games during adolescence and gambling as a young adult. Gambling can lead to a range of negative consequences or gambling harms, including financial, relationship, social, health and emotional/psychological harms. Simulated gambling products have the potential to normalise and encourage monetary gambling, especially among children and young people, yet few studies have examined this relationship. Previous research has found a link between video gaming and gambling. Simulated gambling appears in many forms in video games but social casino games are the most common. Games that structurally resemble traditional gambling activities ('gambling-like' video games) are commonly referred to as 'simulated gambling'.

Gaming and gambling are defined as separate activities but they share similarities in appearance, interactive features and elements of skill and chance. Video gaming is a popular form of entertainment in Australia.

Gambling video games