Skin Gambling Contributes to Gambling Problems and Harm After Controlling for Other Forms of Traditional Gambling

Abstract

Esports betting and skin gambling involve betting on the outcomes of video game competitions and/or using virtual currencies for betting. The present study evaluated a conceptual model linking video game involvement, video-game related gambling, traditional gambling, and gambling problems and harm. Data were collected via a cross-sectional online survey with 737 participants aged 18 + who engaged in esports cash betting (n = 576), esports skin betting (n = 184), or skin gambling on games of chance (n = 330). The findings highlighted the distinctly different relationships esports cash betting versus skin gambling had with traditional gambling involvement and harmful gambling. Gambling with skins on games of chance was predictive of gambling problems and gambling harm after controlling for participation in traditional gambling (OR = 1.32 and 1.17 respectively). Whereas betting on esports with cash was associated with betting on a variety of other forms of gambling, and there was no unique contribution to problems and harm over and above participation on these other forms (e.g., EGMs, sports betting). Skin gambling is directly implicated in gambling problems and harm, whereas cash betting on esports is only indicative of interest in many forms of potentially harmful gambling. Greater research attention to skin gambling is warranted, and particularly with respect to its role as a virtual currency more easily accessible for gambling.

Adoption, Adaptation or Exposure? Novel Digital Gambling Activities and Links with Gambling Problems

“…At the individual level, some people may also adapt in the future by curtailing their engagement in these novel forms as their novelty and honeymoon effects wane, or if individuals moderate their gambling on these products to reduce the harmful consequences they have experienced. Given the young average age of early adopters on the three novel gambling products, some individuals may age out of risky gambling behaviour [2][3][4][5][6][7]. This maturing out of addictions as young people transition to adult roles and responsibilities and experience psychological maturation has been observed for alcohol and other drug addictions [37][38][39].…”

“…For example, amongst Australian adults, past-year prevalence is 0.6% for esports betting, 0.6% for fantasy sports betting and 0.3% for skin gambling [1••]. These activities attract mainly young adult males [2][3][4][5][6][7]. Most studies have found positive associations between participation in these activities and higher problem gambling severity, although causal relationships remain unclear [4,[8][9][10].…”

“…These activities attract mainly young adult males [2][3][4][5][6][7]. Most studies have found positive associations between participation in these activities and higher problem gambling severity, although causal relationships remain unclear [4,[8][9][10].…”

Motivations for Esports Betting and Skin Gambling and Their Association with Gambling Frequency, Problems, and Harm

“…While participation in these emerging gambling activities is currently rare in general adult populations, participation amongst adolescents and young adults is proportionately much higher (Gambling Commission, 2019;Hing et al, 2021b;Hing et al, 2021;Russell et al, 2020). Early research also shows that esports betting and skin gambling are associated with higher levels of involvement in traditional gambling activities and gambling-related harm, especially for adolescents and young adults (Gainsbury et al, 2017b;Greer et al, 2021Greer et al, , 2022Hing et al, 2021cHing et al, , 2022Wardle, 2019). However, participation in these emerging gambling activities only partially accounts for greater intensity of gambling involvement and harm, suggesting the influence of other underlying factors.…”

Book review: Games without frontiers?

“…Although loot boxes have received the most attention among researchers and policy makers, the book also explores a variety of other systems, such as social casinos, fantasy sports, skin betting, trading rooms, esports, microtransactions and the symbolics of gambling within gaming products. Notably, skin betting has been found to predict gambling problems and gambling harms, particularly among the youth (Greer et al, 2022; Wardle, 2019). Although betting can occur with in-game currency, Wardle shows how for some consumers these currencies can also hold a value, quite similarly to real-life money.…”