Beyond Time Spent Gaming: The Role of Binge Gaming and Monetization in Internet Gaming Disorder Symptoms Among Young Spanish Gamers

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is an emerging public health concern associated with different gaming patterns and structural characteristics of video games. The present study aimed to examine the association between IGD symptom severity and different gaming habits, including gaming intensity, preferred video game genres, and monetization practices, as well as to determine the relative contribution of these factors to IGD symptom severity in a sample of young Spanish gamers.
A total of 682 young adults aged 18 to 24 years (59.5% women) participated in the study. Participants completed an online survey assessing sociodemographic characteristics, gaming habits, and the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short Form (IGDS9-SF). Correlational analyses and hierarchical linear regression were conducted.
The results showed that greater gaming time during weekdays and weekends, as well as a higher frequency of binge gaming, were associated with higher levels of IGD symptomatology, with binge gaming emerging as the strongest predictor in the final model. Additionally, preference for MOBA and first-person shooter (FPS) games, along with greater engagement in video game monetization practices, was associated with increased IGD symptom severity. The hierarchical regression model indicated that gaming habits and monetization practices accounted for the largest proportion of explained variance in IGD symptomatology, whereas sociodemographic variables showed a limited contribution.
These findings highlight the importance of assessing not only the total amount of time spent gaming but also specific patterns of use, such as binge gaming and monetization practices. The results suggest that prevention strategies targeting young people should focus on identifying potentially maladaptive gaming patterns and promoting a more balanced and controlled use of video games.