EJGI:Issue 8, May 2003:Clinic:Fruit machine addiction in an adolescent female: A case study http://www.camh.net/egambling/issue8/clinic/griffiths/index.html 1 of 12 [This article prints out to about 12 pages.] Fruit machine addiction in an adolescent female: A case study By Mark Griffiths, PhD Psychology Division Nottingham Trent University Nottingham, United Kingdom E-mail: mark.griffiths@ntu.ac.uk Gambling is perceived as an "adult" activity primarily because of the legal restrictions placed on it. However, fruit machine gambling (a kind of slot machine playing) is one activity that is legally available to adolescents in the United Kingdom. Adolescent fruit machine playing is a widespread phenomenon, yet we still know so little about it in comparison with other potentially addictive behaviours. In the most recent U.K. study by Fisher and Balding (1998), 75% per cent of close to 10,000 adolescent participants stated that fruit machines were their favourite form of gambling. A more thorough examination of the literature (Griffiths, 1995; Fisher, 1992; Fisher & Balding, 1998) indicates that in the U.K.: At least two-thirds of adolescents play fruit machines at some point during adolescence. One-third of adolescents have played fruit machines in the last month. 10% — 20% of adolescents are regular fruit machine players (playing at least once a week).