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. 2022 Oct 6;12(1):16751.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-21222-3.

No effect of short term exposure to gambling like reward systems on post game risk taking

Nicholas J D'Amico  1 , Aaron Drummond  2 , Kristy de Salas  1 , Ian Lewis  1 , Callan Waugh  1 , Breanna Bannister  1 , James D Sauer  3
Affiliations

No effect of short term exposure to gambling like reward systems on post game risk taking

Nicholas J D'Amico et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Is engaging with gambling-like video game rewards a risk factor for future gambling? Despite speculation, there are no direct experimental tests of this "gateway hypothesis". We test a mechanism that might support this pathway: the effects of engaging with gambling-like reward mechanisms on risk-taking. We tested the hypothesis that players exposed to gambling-like rewards (i.e., randomised rewards delivered via a loot box) would show increased risk-taking compared to players in fixed and no reward control conditions. 153 participants (Mage = 25) completed twenty minutes of gameplay-including exposure to one of the three reward conditions-before completing a gamified, online version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Self-reports of gambling and loot box engagement were collected via the Problem Gambling Severity Index, and Risky Loot-Box Index. Bayesian t-tests comparing BART scores across reward conditions provided moderate to strong evidence for a null effect of condition on risk-taking (BF = 4.05-10.64). Null effects were not moderated by players' problem gambling symptomatology. A Spearman correlation between past loot box engagement and self-reported gambling severity (rs = 0.35) aligned with existing literature. Our data speak against a "gateway" hypothesis, but add support to the notion that problem gambling symptoms might make players vulnerable to overspending on loot boxes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Aaron Drummond prepared an impartial witness briefing summarizing the current state of the scientific literature on the subject of loot boxes for a Canadian court. He was financially compensated for his time. Nicholas J D'Amico, Kristy de Salas, Ian Lewis, Callan Waugh, Breanna Bannister, and James D. Sauer all declare no potential competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mean BART scores according to reward condition.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Prior and Posterior Plots, and Robustness Checks for Bayesian T-Tests.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Sequential analyses for Bayesian T-tests.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Density plot of PGSI score distribution.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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