The World Health Organization moved forward with a proposal to classify “gaming disorder” as an illness.


WHO added gaming disorder to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. This refers to gaming disorder as a kind of addiction, or “a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior (‘digital gaming’ or ‘video-gaming’), which may be online (i.e., over the internet) or offline.


Stanley Pierre-Louis, CEO of the Entertainment Software Association, which represents the video game industry in the U.S., has opposed the move because it lacked research foundations and could lead to bans on video games in various countries.

