Validation of the problematic social casino gaming scale

ABSTRACT

Few investigations have focused on problematic social casino gaming. Social casino games are a type of video game that feature gambling elements. Unlike gambling machines, social casino games present with a number of added interactive features that render them more like video games. Therefore, problematic social casino gaming may present with symptoms that reflect both problem video gaming and problem gambling. To investigate the overlap, this study examined a new measure – the Problematic Social Casino Gaming Scale (PSCGS) – in 436 social casino game players. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a single-factor structure that was further supported by confirmatory factor analysis. The PSCGS demonstrated high internal consistency. The latent profile analysis of the PSCGS classified participants into three groups, representing different levels of problematic social casino gaming. Players classified as high severity played social casino games more frequently, were more likely to spend money on social casino games, and evidenced greater severity of problem video gaming and problem gambling than other players. Collectively, results provide initial evidence of the psychometric properties of the PSCGS and characteristics of problematic social casino gaming. Such findings could inform future research into the etiology, nature, and course of problematic social casino gaming.

KEYWORDS:

• Social casino gaming
• problem gambling
• problem video gaming
• IGD
• measurement validation

Constraints on publishing

All authors declare that no contractual constraint exists with regard to the submitted manuscript.

Competing interest

All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by an Internal Seed Grant at Rutgers University School of Social Work.

Notes on contributors

Wen Li

Wen Li, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at Rutgers University School of Social Work and research associate at Center for Gambling Studies. Her research centers on problem video gaming, problem Internet use, Internet gambling, and other problematic behaviors related to technology use. Specifically, her research explores the etiology and risk mechanisms of problem Internet and video game use, develops and validates measures for these problems, and develops and evaluates interventions that can ameliorate these problems among adolescents and young adults. She currently studies an emerging area – the convergence of gaming and gambling, including social casino games and gambling-like activities in video games.

Devin Mills

Devin J. Mills, Ph.D., is an assistant professor within the Department of Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences at Texas Tech University. His research explores the development of behavioral addictions, specifically video gaming and gambling disorder, with the intention of identifying factors that facilitate sustained recovery across the lifespan.

Lia Nower

Lia Nower, Ph.D., J.D., is a professor and director of the Center for Gambling Studies and the Addiction Counselor Training (ACT) Certificate Program at the Rutgers University School of Social Work. Her research interests include interactive gaming-related policy, etiology and screening for problem gambling and gaming, training and treatment for individuals with behavioral addictions, psychometric measurement of addiction-related constructs, and gambling-related forensic issues.