Background: Rewarding characteristics in games may amplify the transition from recreational to more problematic gaming behavior. This research explored the association betweentypical rewarding game elements and adolescents’ problematic gaming behaviors and evaluated the interacting nature of individual vulnerabilities within this relationship. Method: Ina two-cohort-design the impact of rewarding elements (e.g., random rewards, contingenciesrewards, social rewards, and meta-achievements) on adolescents’ problematic gaming wasinvestigated. Participants were 2708 (53.9% male, mean age 13.9 SD=1.20) and 2073 secondary school students in respectively in the first and second cohort (52.1% male, mean age14.3 SD=1.49). Results: Results revealed that random rewards, social rewards, and contingencies rewards, were predictors of adolescents’ problematic gaming in both cohorts. Gamesincluding such type of rewards increased the risk for problematic game play. Regarding interactions with individual vulnerabilities, results indicated that for adolescents with attentiondeficit hyperactivity symptoms, the impact of contingencies rewards on problematic gamingbehavior was amplified, while for adolescents with social problems the impact of social rewards on problematic gaming was amplified. Conclusion: The findings illustrate that certainrewarding elements in games can increase problematic gaming behavior, particularly amongadolescents with individual vulnerabilities. Prevention strategies can benefit from integratingthis knowledge in education and intervention strategies may be tailored towards those withattention-deficit hyperactivity symptoms and social problems as these adolescents are at thegreatest risk for being affected by the rewarding elements in games.