Gamblification of Cyberspace: New Targets and New Vulnerabilities

• In Event: Digitalization of Life and New Forms of Harm: Victimization & Harmful Behavior in the Cyberspace

Abstract

In recent years, it has been observed that the internet and the transition of much of our lives to the digital world are driving a "gamblification" of different sectors. Although this term has been used to refer to the increased prominence of gambling in sectors already traditionally related to it, such as sports and sports betting; it can also be argued that in cyberspace this process has translated into the introduction of gambling in new areas. Perhaps the main example of this second dimension of the process is the popularization of loot boxes in video games, especially in those of an online nature. However, this process has not only occurred within the video games themselves but seems to have permeated the entire gaming community, with practices such as skin betting and other forms of betting related to video games and their streaming becoming popular. The convergence of gaming and betting with new sectors, as well as the reinforcement and magnification of these relationships, allow us to talk about a process of gamblification that, although it is not exclusive to the world of video games, seems to have strongly penetrated it. Consequently, this research seeks to approach this gamblification of video games and, specifically, aims to measure and understand the involvement of players in these new forms of gambling, their relationship with traditional gambling, the influence of environmental factors and the relationship of these activities with different forms of victimizations. To achieve these objectives, a survey was conducted among a representative sample of the Spanish society (n=1460) and its results have allowed us to observe the notable weight of environmental factors in both victimization and involvement in this kind of activities, as well as to detect the generation of a new profile of gambler different from the one involved in traditional gambling.

Author

• Jesús C. Aguerri, Miguel Hernández University of Elche