Online gaming - addicted but is it technically gambling?

[BudgetBuster]

Is playing online games and buying in-game credits a form of gambling? I definitely think it can be an addiction but not sure I can pinpoint the correct "heading" for it.

Constantly buying in-app purchases (credits) knowing that a) You won't win anything back from it money wise and b) knowing that you can't afford it / already have lots of debts and struggling to repay.

Is there a better heading than gambling addiction? Spending addiction maybe?

It sounds like addictive behaviour, certainly, although I'm not sure if there's a clinical term for this specific kind of addiction.The credits will be providing some kind of in-game reward - short-cuts to higher levels, boosts, more lives or whatever - which can generate a dopamine rush and so provide the impetus to keep doing it.

The developers who produce these kinds of games are well aware of how to fine-tune the cost/reward structures to maximise their profit and often put more effort in to that than the rest of the game itself. They can rake in huge amounts of money.

Yes, that's what I was thinking. It's definitely an addiction, but I couldn't pinpoint the exact term for it.