Another driver of problem gambling stems from the excitement and arousal gained by
placing bets, and the need to place larger and larger bets in order to combat the tolerance
that the problem gambler develops (Wood and Griffiths 2007). In other words, small bets
are no longer exciting any more. It is difficult to see how the excitement of playing video
games can be increased in any comparable way. Playing for longer periods or playing more
frequently does not, in itself, increase the overall intensity of the gaming experience, and is
more akin to the engagement criteria noted earlier. So by comparing the action of problem
gambling with excessive gaming we are not comparing like with like.