Neil Robertson: Online gaming is a ticking time bomb of child gambling addicts, it will cost lives

Updated 20/04/2019 at 08:56 GMT

2010 world champion Neil Robertson, who was addicted to online computer games, tells Desmond Kane why he is behind Prince Harry's campaign to ban game Fortnite, a game he feels is a ticking time bomb for wider society.

Neil Robertson of Australia in action against Jack Lisowski of Great Britain during in the final of 2019 World Snooker China Open at Olympic Sports Centre April 7, 2019 in Beijing, China.

Image credit: Eurosport

The World Snooker Championship lasts for 17 days at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, but Neil Robertson only has his mind on a Fortnite. More precisely, he feels the British government should do battle with the “battle royale game Fortnite” to prevent a ticking time bomb that is storing up dire consequences for society.

Watch the World Championship LIVE on Eurosport and the Eurosport Player

As a man who has saved his career from the evil clutches of addiction to online computer games in recent years, Australia’s leading player Robertson, the 2010 world champion, believes the health hazards of Fortnite must be viewed as seriously as the vices of gambling, cigarettes or alcohol. Especially when makers are cashing in on the misery of millions.

World Championship

Judd Trump’s social perspective: ‘The world is not as nice a place as it used to be’

07/05/2019 at 00:23

After Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, called for Fortnite to be outlawed, Robertson has used Good Friday, the eve of the 43rd staging of snooker’s biggest event at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, to endorse Harry’s game.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex listens to members of Barking and Dagenham (BAD) Youth Forum and Youth Zone members as they share their perspectives and experiences of knife crime as he attends the official opening of the Barking & Dagenham Future Youth Zone

Image credit: Eurosport

“The game shouldn’t be allowed," said Prince Harry at the outset of the month. “It’s created to addict. An addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible. It’s so irresponsible.

“Parents have got their hands up – they don’t know what to do about it. It’s like waiting for the damage to be done.”

'Gaming Disorder' is officially set to be added to the International Classification of Diseases by the World Health Assembly.

Robertson himself paints a bleak future for society of kids hooked on gambling, suffering from depression, mental health problems and predicts an increase in the suicide rate among teenagers unless imminent action is taken.

“Restrictions have to come in. It is a ticking time bomb. It is going to affect kids and young adults when they are studying, their social lives, everything,” Robertson told Eurosport. “It is not going to be pretty.

Already the suicide rate and depression among teenagers has never been higher. It is going to keep getting higher.

Robertson explained to this onlooker two years ago how he struggled to wean himself off League of Legends and World of Warcraft, games that wreaked havoc with his personal life, and put serious strain on his marriage.

Robertson was 35 at the time so it could be argued had the maturity, wisdom and worldliness to step away from the furnace. Impressionable kids do not.

“Fortnite is a highly addictive game, you shouldn’t have kids aged seven to 12 really touching that game," said Robertson.

“You can have 50 players land on this island. It is a bit like the movie The Hunger Games when they are all out on an island.

“You go around these abandoned little buildings, and there is a potential to come across treasure chests which you open.

Neil Robertson signs an autograph for a fan outside of the Crucible Theatre.

Image credit: Eurosport

“The treasure chests are something similar to the same rules the gambling industry work on with fruit machines to keep people hooked.

“What Fortnite have done is incorporated the same thing from the gambling industry into this game.

"But they are targeting kids and parent’s credit cards. When a kid opens a chest...bang, suddenly they get a reward.

“They can get a gun or a parachute or whatever, so they keep going in.

It releases endorphins, and creates a super addiction. It is just unbelievable that this is allowed to go on.

"It is a free game, so you don’t have to pay for it.

“But there are little transactions in the game to make your character look better.

I’ve done it before, I’ve paid £10 or something and all of a sudden your person can go from looking a normal person wearing jeans to being dressed in some crazy superhero outfit.

“The creators of the game have made something like $1bn (£769.4m) last year.

“It is unreal. Something needs to happen because it is going to affect kids when they go into college, high school.

“You can be up all night playing these games. Until 6am in the morning. We are storing up problems for society with this.”

Online game 'Fortnite' enthusiasts attend the ESL Katowice Royale Featuring Fortnite Tournament during the Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2019 event in Katowice on March 3, 2019. - World's top gamers vie for $500,000 in prizes at Fortnite event.

Image credit: Eurosport

Robertson ensures his son Alexander kicks a football around after school rather than becoming consumed by his computer screen, but he believes the influence of such online games is far-reaching.

After banning smoking in public places in the noughties, and placing health warnings on drinking to excess, he feels the time has come to confront the addiction of computer games.

“My son plays football, and they are doing Fortnite celebrations when they score a goal,” he said.

“Instead of copying Paul Pogba’s celebrations, they are mimicking a video game celebration.

“I think the government need to get involved in this, but when have governments really stepped in to solve such an issue?

“They took ages to tackle smoking and gambling in the past.”

Melburnian Robertson, who is in the form of life having kicked the addiction with three ranking titles and three finals this season, intends to use his personal experience to help people struggling with addiction to computer games.

At the time he revealed: "My friend said to me: ‘you don’t get to choose the crack you are addicted to’. And the multi-play online ones I can’t touch because I just get too hooked on them."

But it could be a force for good in the future.

“I’ve never been scared or afraid to open up about being addicted to games because I think when you are in the public eye and you have a social media influence that you can help people,” said Robertson.

I don’t have any shame in being able to talk about it. People who are in the public eye can have a great influence. The public can view them as being invincible and think they never have any problems.

“But anyone can experience those issues. If you have the power to talk about it and reach out to a large amount of people, I think you should take it upon yourself to do that.”

Join 3M+ users on app

Stay up to date with the latest news, results and live sports

Download

Scan me