Many people are addicted to video games and spend hours trying to get past the level that they are on. Video game addiction is common in children and teenagers but also in adults who get sucked into the game. While video game addiction doesn’t always come with a financial risk, it does have some similarities to gambling.

Here, we are going to look at video game addiction and the connection to gambling. Keep reading to find out more about this.

Video Game Addiction

So, why are people addicted to video games? There are many reasons why people can become addicted to video games which include the fact that these games are often seen as challenges with accomplishments. Many gamers become addicted to the gameplay and can’t stop playing it in order to reach the next level or get a higher score than their friends.

When video game developers are working on projects, they want to make sure that people will continue to play their games. For this reason, they make the levels hard to beat and encourage players to try again until they get it. This, in itself, can actually aid the addiction to video games.

Symptoms Of Video Game Addiction

There are many symptoms that are common in those who are addicted to video games. These include feeling or irritability when you are unable to play the game, lying to friends or family about the number of hours played and isolation from others. While most of the symptoms are emotional, you’ll also find that fatigue, migraines and carpal tunnel syndrome can be physical signs of a video game addiction.

Gambling Addiction

A gambling addiction is different to a video game addiction, but it is something very serious. Many people are addicted to winning money and when they don’t, they tend to bet more to try and win their money back. This can be a dangerous road to travel down and many people end up losing everything to a gambling addiction.

Casino sites and land-based casinos find ways to attract players through bonuses and offer them rewards for playing more. They also tend to attract players by very easy payment methods which can encourage the players to deposit more and become even more invested in the games.

Can They Be Compared?

While there are many differences between gambling addictions and video game addictions, there are also some similarities. One of the main differences is that video games don’t tend to involve risking money in order to win something back. For this reason, players cannot get addicted to winning cash, rather they get addicted to winning the game.

Of course, video games are not cheap and there is something to be said for the amount of cash that video gamers spend on these games every time a new one is released. This can be compared to the cash that is spent on gambling sites; however, the difference is that the money is going towards a purchase and there is something to show for it.

Other similarities between gambling addictions and gaming addictions include the general symptoms of an addiction. Those addicted to these might find that they lie about how much time they spend doing the activity and they might feel restless when they cannot play the latest video or slot game.

While most gamers might not consider themselves to be in the same boat as a gambling addict, the symptoms can be just as worrying. While the financial loss is easier to control, gaming addicts can isolate themselves from society and only focus on this one activity.

Final Verdict

It is clear that gambling addictions and gaming addictions can be very serious and there are some comparisons to be made. Many people believe that a gambling addiction is much more serious due to the risk of losing everything but those who are addicted to gaming also need to make sure that they are not getting in too deep.

If you think that you have an addiction to either of these activities, make sure to get in touch with someone who can help. You aren’t alone and there will always be someone willing to chat with you.