Online Gaming Disorder and Sports Betting Addiction: Convergences and Divergences

Abstract

Worldwide estimates of the prevalence of online gaming disorder (OGD) and online sports betting addiction (OSBA) have become exceedingly high, particularly among young people. The objective of this study was to compare the sociodemographic and clinical profiles of treatment-seeking patients for these mental health disorders. The sample included n = 495 patients (n = 108 OGD and n = 387 OSBA) recruited from a tertiary care unit specialized in the treatment of behavioral addictions. Sociodemographic variables, psychopathologic state, impulsivity, emotion regulation, substances, and personality traits were assessed and compared between both these diagnostic subtypes. The prevalence for OGD was 3.82% and for OSBA was 13.01% among the whole sample of n = 3,036 patients. Compared with OGD, OSBA presented a profile characterized by a greater proportion of non-single men with higher levels of education, employed, and of higher socioeconomic status. OSBA was also characterized by older chronological age, later age of onset of the addictive behaviors, worse psychopathology state (greater likelihood of depression and anxiety), higher impulsivity, and higher substance use. The personality profile related to OSBA presented higher novelty seeking, reward dependence and persistence, and lower harm avoidance. Despite the similarities between OGD and OSBA, and even though both behaviors could be perceived by the general population as low-risk leisure activities (as opposed to other gambling types, such as casinos or slot machines), the differences in the clinical profiles should be considered in efforts to improve assessment tools and specialized intervention plans.