Exploring microtransaction use and gambling risk: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aim: The study aimed to determine whether playing video games with microtransactions is a predictor of higher scores on the South Oaks Gambling Screen: Revised for Adolescents (SOGS-Ra) questionnaire. It also sought to find out whether playing specific video games increases the tendency to gamble or if another factor is involved.
Methods: An online survey was used to conduct this cross-sectional study. In addition to answering questions about their gaming habits, such as how much money they had spent, how many games they had played, and how much time they had spent playing, participants also completed the SOGS Ra Gambling questionnaire. A total of 208 people completed the questionnaire, with 3 responses deemed invalid and excluded. Of the remaining participants, 180 reported playing video games with microtransactions. The data was analysed using the Spearman correlation coefficient and linear regression.
Results: There was no significant association between playing specific video games and higher SOGS Ra scores (ρ = -0.01, P > 0.05). The most frequently mentioned video games with microtransactions did not show a significant positive correlation with higher gambling tendencies. Although some participants who reported spending more money on microtransactions also had higher SOGS Ra scores, there was no indication of a strong predictive relationship between video games and gambling behavior (ρ = 0.17, P < 0.01).
Conclusion: Gambling using video games was not linked to any specific video game, but rather to another factor that has yet to be identified.