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This paper examines an innovation by the game industry that makes it possible to earn credits for gift cards while playing video games. This turns video gaming into something like an indirect form of gambling. One spends money to win awards through gift cards. It is indirect because the player spends money on one or more game software applications, and then uses a different software application to collect the rewards. For this paper we downloaded one of these payment application and several games to examine how much money one can earn, incentives to spend money, and the potential risk of these applications. Additional issues related to gambling content and advertising in these software applications are also discussed. It is argued that governments regulators need to examine this type of scheme to determine if it is gambling and if regulations are needed to protect consumers, especially youth, and to monitor the integrity of the game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Video game playing has become a very popular activity among adolescents. Its impact on the mental health and well-being of players is just beginning to be explored. This paper reports on the prevalence of problematic gaming in a representative sample of 2,832 Ontario students in grades 7 to 12. The survey included questions about the school grade, family and school related problems, frequency of video game playing and video game related problems as measured by the Problem Video Game Playing scale (PVP). Most of the students (85%) reported playing video games in the past year and 18.3% reported playing video games daily. Slightly less then 1 in 10 of the students (9.4%) endorsed 5 or more of the PVP items (males 15.1%; females 3.1%). Further research is required to delineate the concept of excessive video game playing, its relation to other addictions, and the impact on adolescents' psychosocial functioning.

The study examined the perception of random lines by people with gambling problems compared to people without gambling problems. The sample consisted of 67 probable pathological gamblers and 46 people without gambling problems. Participants completed a number of questionnaires about their gambling and were then presented with a series of random and non-random lines. The participants rated lines as random if the pattern stayed near zero (the middle of the screen) and did not form anything that resembled waves. The probable pathological gamblers rated 2 of the patterns ("jumps", and "multi-wave") as significantly less random than non-problem gamblers. They also rated random lines significantly less random than the non-problem gamblers. That is, they seem to be able to find patterns both when they are really there and when they only appear to be there as in the case of random drift.

This issue of the Journal of gambling issues, included 4 papers that focus on how Covid-19 effected problem gamblers. One paper is a systematic review, two papers use qualitative methodology to examine the impact of covid, and the fourth paper uses a combination of survey and open-ended questions to explore the impact of covid on treatment professionals. The results suggest that Covid-19 had a relatively positive effect on problem gamblers and their families, but many returned to gambling once the lockdown restrictions were relaxed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the items of two scales, the Random Events Knowledge Test (REKT) and the Chance Test, and examines their relationship with problem gambling (N = 1375). Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the REKT was broken down into four sub-scales: Due to Win, Counterintuitive Nature of random chance, Odds Do Not Improve, and Biases and Wins. The Chance Test was broken down into three sub-scales: abstract Odds, Table Odds, and Chance Odds. These sub-scales were regressed onto of problem gambling severity and revealed that more knowledge about random chance on all sub-scales of the REKT and Abstract Odds from the Chance Test were negatively related to problem gambling. On the other hand, we found that higher score on the Table Odds and Chance Odds from the Chance Test were positively related to problem gambling. The results illustrate that compared to people who do not have a gambling problem, problem gamblers have a more accurate understanding of some aspects of the chances of winning specific games, but have a poorer understanding of various implications of the independence of random events. The findings suggest potential strategies for the prevention and treatment of problem gambling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the accuracy of parallel analysis, a technique in which observed eigenvalues are compared to eigenvalues from simulated data when no real factors are present. Three studies with manipulated sizes of real factors and sample sizes illustrate the importance of modeling the data more closely when parallel analysis is used. (SLD)

The prevalence of problem gambling in the correctional system is about 10 times higher than in the general population, but programming for gambling problems in the correctional system is scarce. Examined barriers to treatment for problem gamblers in the correctional system, sex or gender differences, and options for program design. We conducted interviews with 16 experts who had worked with problem gamblers in the correctional system and analyzed the data in terms of themes. For barriers, the experts discussed a lack of awareness about problem gambling, as well as stigmatization and lockdowns. Experts described the content of current programs as equally applicable to both men and women, but that emotional components were more important for women. Finally, the experts had mixed views on whether programming should be integrated with other programs such as substance abuse. Programming implications for this population are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]