Gaming-gambling convergence, emotion regulation, and impulsivity in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review

The convergence between video games and monetized betting constitutes a risk factor for adolescents and young adults, given their specific cognitive vulnera-bilities. To synthesize empirical evidence on exposure to gaming-gambling convergence and its association with emotional regulation and impulsivity in this population. Through a systematic review (PRISMA 2020), searches were conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, APA PsycINFO, and SciELO. After applying PECO criteria and assessing bias with the JBI tool, four cross-sectional studies were in-cluded and analyzed using a quantitative narrative synthesis (SWiM). The protocol was registered in OSF. Simulated gambling and microtransactions are associ-ated with gaming disorder (Odds Ratios: 1.98 to 4.55), while acquiring loot boxes exac-erbates problem gambling severity (OR = 4.40). This digital immersion is linked to maladaptive emotional strategies and high impulsivity, interacting concurrently with prior deficits in inhibitory control. These digital environments are em-pirically associated with affective alterations and greater youth impulsivity, primarily affecting subgroups with pre-existing vulnerabilities, highlighting the urgency for reg-ulatory frameworks and targeted interventions.