No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Loot boxes and the convergence of video games and gambling
... loot boxes is growing (e.g. Brooks & Clark, 2019;Drummond et al., 2020;Kristiansen & Severin, 2020;King et al., 2020;Zendle & Bowden-Jones, 2019;Zendle & Cairns, 2018;Zendle, Meyer et al., 2019), understanding the association between loot box engagement and problematic gambling disorders remains in its infancy, particularly during the increased engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic (Hall et al., 2021). ...
... Nevertheless, concerns over loot boxes and player wellbeing have risen due to researchers finding significant associations between loot box engagement and the development of problematic gambling behaviors (Brooks & Clark, 2019;Zendle & Bowden-Jones, Zendle & Bowden-Jones, 2019;Zendle & Cairns, 2018;Zendle, Cairns et al., 2019;Zendle, Meyer et al., 2019). For example, Zendle and Cairns (2018) large-scale survey with over 7,000 gamers explored participants' spending habits on loot boxes and the severity of gambling behaviors using a newly developed problem gambling severity index. ...
... Nonetheless, although the exploration into the association between loot box expenditure and problematic gaming is increasing (e.g. Brooks & Clark, 2019;Drummond et al., 2020;Kristiansen & Severin, 2020;Zendle & Bowden-Jones, 2019;Zendle, Meyer et al., 2019), the majority of these studies have so far only explored this association generically across multiple games and platforms without consideration of differentiating these behaviors within individual games or series. King et al. (2020) investigated how microtransaction spending in Fortnite (2017) may be influenced by gamers' cognitive factors, gaming behavior, and social influences across 428 adult participants. ...
Increased implementation of loot boxes within computer games has received widespread concern for the wellbeing of gamers, especially given the increased engagement during COVID-19 restrictions. Loot boxes share similarities with traditional gambling mechanisms that influence addiction-like behaviors and the amount of money spent on in-game items. The present study investigated loot box expenditure alongside peer engagement, perceptions of gaming value, self-worth, and problematic gambling of 130 Call of Duty players. Results identified significantly higher Risky Loot Box Index and visual authority scores for high-risk and medium-risk problem gamblers than non-problem gamblers. High-risk problem gamblers were also found to have higher purchase intention and validation seeking scores than non-problem gamblers. Problem gambling risk and all but three self-worth and perceived value subscale behaviors were not associated with loot box expenditure, contrasting previous findings. Concerning peer influence, non-problem gamblers were significantly less likely to play any Call of Duty game with friends whilst having all or most friends purchase loot boxes were also found to be associated with higher RLBI scores. The findings continue to support the associations between loot box engagement and problematic gambling and suggests the need to continue to explore individual in-game motivations for engaging with microtransactions.
... Forms of gambling may be incorporated into videogames and vice versa, blurring boundaries (20,43). For example, some governmental and regulatory bodies consider loot boxes as gambling elements in videogames (44). Individuals who play videogames problematically have reported using online videogames and digital platforms to gamble (45). ...
... Healthcare professionals should understand the natures of videogames played in relation to their clients'/patients' lives (44). Contexualizing youth videogaming and gambling may be critical in preventing online gambling problems (14). ...
Internet gambling has become a popular activity among some youth. Vulnerable youth may be particularly at risk due to limited harm reduction and enforcement measures. This article explores age restrictions and other harm reduction measures relating to youth and young adult online gambling. A systematic rapid review was conducted by searching eight databases. Additional articles on online gambling (e.g., from references) were later included. To place this perspective into context, articles on adult gambling, land-based gambling, and substance use and other problematic behaviors were also considered. Several studies show promising findings for legally restricting youth from gambling in that such restrictions may reduce the amount of youth gambling and gambling-related harms. However, simply labeling an activity as “age-restricted” may not deter youth from gambling; in some instances, it may generate increased appeal for gambling. Therefore, advertising and warning labels should be examined in conjunction with age restrictions. Recommendations for age enforcement strategies, advertising, education, and warning labels are made to help multiple stakeholders including policymakers and public health officials internationally. Age restrictions in online gambling should consider multiple populations including youth and young adults. Prevention and harm reduction in gambling should examine how age-restriction strategies may affect problem gambling and how they may be best enforced across gambling platforms. More research is needed to protect youth with respect to online gambling.
... However, policy responses have focused largely on limiting time gaming [12] or regulating loot boxes as gambling [13]. Commentaries suggest that existing tools for self-regulation of gambling, such as self-exclusion, mandatory breaks, or pop-up messaging, might be useful for gaming [14]. ...
... The findings here challenge this traditional approach by considering gamers as vital co-creators of knowledge. For example, loot boxes have been the focus of much public health activity related to gaming disorder to date [13,41], yet loot boxes or other gambling-like mechanics were not mentioned by our sample. Other targets may be more palatable to multiple stakeholders, potentially easier to achieve, or more effective at preventing problematic gaming. ...
Background: Little is known about strategies or mechanics to improve self-regulation of video game play that could be developed into novel interventions. This study used a participatory approach with the gaming community to uncover insider knowledge about techniques to promote healthy play and prevent gaming disorder. Methods: We used a pragmatic approach to conduct a convergent-design mixed-methods study with participants attending a science fiction and education convention. Six participants answered questions about gaming engagement and self- or game-based regulation of gaming which were then categorized into pre-determined (a priori) themes by the presenters during the presentation. The categorized themes and examples from participant responses were presented back to participants for review and discussion. Seven participants ranked their top choices of themes for each question. The rankings were analyzed using a nonparametric approach to show consensus around specific themes. Results: Participants suggested several novel potential targets for preventive interventions including specific types of social (e.g., play with others in a group) or self-regulation processes (e.g., set timers or alarms). Suggestions for game mechanics that could help included clear break points and short missions, but loot boxes were not mentioned. Conclusions: Our consensus development approach produced many specific suggestions that could be implemented by game developers or tested as public health interventions, such as encouraging breaks through game mechanics, alarms or other limit setting; encouraging group gaming; and discussing and supporting setting appropriate time or activity goals around gaming (e.g., three quests, one hour). As some suggestions here have not been addressed previously as potential interventions, this suggests the importance of including gamers as stakeholders in research on the prevention of gaming disorder and the promotion of healthy gaming. A large-scale, online approach using these methods with multiple stakeholder groups could make effective use of players’ in-depth knowledge and help speed discovery and translation of possible preventive interventions into practice and policy.
... The present study contributes to the limited research on the financial vulnerabilities and negative financial consequences of problem gaming (Delfabbro, King, & Carey, 2021b;Garea, Drummond, Sauer, Hall, & Williams, 2021;Gibson, Griffiths, Calado, & Harris, 2022). Although some academic papers and studies have drawn comparisons between gaming and gambling (Colder Carras et al., 2018;Gainsbury, Hing, Delfabbro, Dewar, & King, 2015;King, Russell, Gainsbury, Delfabbro, & Hing, 2016;Wardle, 2019;Zendle & Bowden-Jones, 2019), there is limited data on the extent to which excessive financial expenditure on gaming may have negative consequences for individuals close to the player. Gaming can be a relatively low-cost activity once an individual has acquired the necessary equipment and Table 2. Help-seeking among partners and parents of problem, at-risk, and non-problem gamers Parents (n 5 104) ...
Background and aims
Limited research has investigated how individuals' problem gaming affects significant others. The present study investigated the extent to which partners and parents were personally affected by their partner or child's problematic gaming behavior and what steps, if any, were taken in relation to treatment and other help-seeking by the gamers and the respondents themselves.
Methods
Two targeted samples (parents, n = 104; partners, n = 264) in Australia were recruited and administered an online survey. The survey assessed gaming-related harm across multiple domains, including financial, relationship, emotional wellbeing, physical health and work/study. Treatment and help-seeking questions referred to seeking psychological assistance, self-help, and community support. Non-parametric tests compared groups on harm measures based on GD status.
Results
Parents and partners of individuals rated in the ‘problem gaming’ range reported significantly greater harms compared to those in the at-risk and non-problem categories. The most frequently endorsed harms were in the relationship domain, including neglected household responsibilities, withdrawal from social events, and relationship conflict. Some parents consult with friends and family (15%) to resolve their child's gaming-related problems. Partners reported to seek outside support and assistance for themselves, including 30% who sought a psychologist. No partners reported having consulted a psychologist for their gaming partner.
Discussion
Problem gaming affects significant others across multiple life areas, but few seek outside help or support, suggesting there may be significant unmet needs.
Conclusions
Further research should examine factors that influence acceptance and engagement with problem gaming help options. Harm indicators may be useful for evaluating targeted interventions and other measures to reduce problem gaming.
... No less than 94% of these games are considered suitable for children aged 12 and older. Given that young people are more prone to impulsive behavior and find risk-taking more appealing than other age groups do, the prevalence of loot boxes in games that are popular with teenagers is particularly worrying [54]. ...
The Swiss Youth and Media Act, which is about to enter into force, is an attempt to provide a legislative framework for video game use. Among other inclusions, the law intends to make providers more accountable by taking measures to protect minors from harm that can be caused by improper use of video games. However, it is a challenge to create a legal framework that can adequately regulate the evolving features of video games. Legislators must find a suitable regulatory approach which takes into account the fact that there is an increasing convergence between video games and gambling, particularly with the introduction of loot boxes. Moreover, there is a need for regulation, including the prohibition of misleading designs, the introduction of additional protection for minors, and the assurance of transparency of transactions. Appropriate policy legislation and consumer-protection measures are needed to protect people using these types of products, particularly children and adolescents. Further work should focus on assessing game characteristics to refine regulatory models to promote safe gaming. Based on experiences from the field of psychoactive substances as well as that of gambling, it is now a matter of developing a matrix of harm with elaborated categories: a tool that makes it possible to evaluate the potential harms of certain game design in an evidence-based manner.
... Entre os produtos adquiridos, há outros além de lootboxes, portanto este estudo foi descartado. -Discussão curta sobre os fenômenos em volta de lootboxes, mas sem conclusões ou dados a serem usados[Zendle and Bowden-Jones 2019]. ...
Há várias formas de monetizar jogos eletrônicos, desde a compra única ao sistema games as a service. No entanto, existem formas de monetização que possuem fortes indícios de serem danosas aos consumidores, como as microtransações (lootbox). Embora nenhuma pesquisa provou isso, existem indícios razoáveis, e uma lacuna em pesquisas em computação que não visem apenas a maximizar o lucro ou a atratividade de lootboxes, mas que se preocupem com os aspectos éticos e o bem-estar dos consumidores. Este estudo procurou mostrar isso analisando o uso de lootboxes em jogos eletrônicos para enfatizar a necessidade de se realizar estudos sociotécnicos para minimizar o dano potencial destes produtos e serviços.
... More research could support to the conceptualisation of loot boxes from participants experiences which can aid drawing parallels with gambling. The concern of loot boxes creating a parallel with gambling has been previously highlighted [61,62] and recent quantitative/mixed methods research has suggested an overlap between loot boxes and gambling where most participants saw loot boxes as gambling or related to gambling behaviour [63,64]. Nicklin, et al., [64] using mixed methods explored the motivations of participants from the general population purchasing loot boxes and identified that motivations were related to the following themes: opening loot boxes, value of the content, game motivations, social influence, emotional/impulsive, and Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) as well as connections between motivations to buy and signs of problematic/ harmful behaviour. ...
Loot boxes are a popular mechanic within many video games, but it remains unclear if some forms of loot boxes can be seen of as gambling. However, the perspectives of players are often neglected, such as whether they see them as ‘fair’ game elements and how closely they feel this aligns with gambling. In this paper, we synthesise a conceptualisation for loot boxes through players’ actual experience and explore if there are any parallels with gambling. Twenty-one participants who played video games took part in the research through either an interview or online survey. Thematic analysis suggested that six themes were core to exploring loot boxes: Random Chance Effects, Attitudes Towards Content, Implementation, Parallels with Gambling, Game Design, and The Player. The results suggested both indirect and direct parallels with gambling from the players experiences. Implications of game design and classifying loot boxes as gambling are discussed in relation to game design and risk factors of gambling and purchasing behaviour.
... Alternatively, it may be that people with gambling problems find loot boxes particularly attractive, and spend disproportionally more money on them than other players. However, in either case, academics have argued that links between problem gambling and loot box spending may be an important potential source of realworld harm [7,10,12,21]. ...
Loot boxes are digital containers of randomised rewards present in some video games which are often purchasable for real world money. Recently, concerns have been raised that loot boxes might approximate traditional gambling activities, and that people with gambling problems have been shown to spend more on loot boxes than peers without gambling problems. Some argue that the regulation of loot boxes as gambling-like mechanics is inappropriate because similar activities which also bear striking similarities to traditional forms of gambling, such as collectable card games, are not subject to such regulations. Players of collectible card games often buy sealed physical packs of cards, and these ‘booster packs’ share many formal similarities with loot boxes. However, not everything which appears similar to gambling requires regulation. Here, in a large sample of collectible card game players (n = 726), we show no statistically significant link between in real-world store spending on physical booster and problem gambling (p = 0.110, η² = 0.004), and a trivial in magnitude relationship between spending on booster packs in online stores and problem gambling (p = 0.035, η² = 0.008). Follow-up equivalence tests using the TOST procedure rejected the hypothesis that either of these effects was of practical importance (η² > 0.04). Thus, although collectable card game booster packs, like loot boxes, share structural similarities with gambling, it appears that they may not be linked to problem gambling in the same way as loot boxes. We discuss potential reasons for these differences. Decisions regarding regulation of activities which share structural features with traditional forms of gambling should be made on the basis of definitional criteria as well as whether people with gambling problems purchase such items at a higher rate than peers with no gambling problems. Our research suggests that there is currently little evidence to support the regulation of collectable card games.
... Video game loot boxes have drawn concern over similarities to problem gambling [1]. A gambling disorder is typically characterized by adult issues with gambling. ...
Background
Video game loot boxes, which can typically be purchased by players or are given as reward, contain random virtual items, or loot, ranging from simple customization options for a player's avatar or character, to game-changing equipment such as weapons and armor. Loot boxes have drawn concern, as purchasing loot boxes might lead to the development of problematic gambling for adolescents. Although parental problem gambling is associated with adolescent problem gambling, no studies have evaluated the prevalence of loot box purchases in adolescents’ parents.
Objective
This study investigated the association between loot box purchasing among adolescents and parents, and problem online gaming in population-based samples.
Methods
In total, 1615 adolescent (aged 14 years) gamers from Japan responded to a questionnaire regarding their loot box purchasing and problem online gaming behaviors. Problem online gaming was defined as four or more of the nine addictive behaviors from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The adolescents’ primary caregivers were asked about their loot box purchasing.
Results
Of the 1615 participants, 57 (3.5%) reported loot box purchasing. This prevalence did not differ according to primary caregivers’ loot box purchasing, but adolescents who purchased loot boxes were significantly more likely to exhibit problem online gaming (odds ratio 3.75, 95% CI 2.17-6.48).
Conclusions
Adolescent loot box purchasing is linked to problem online gaming, but not with parents’ loot box purchasing. Measures to reduce these behaviors should target reducing addictive symptoms in young video gamers.
... increasing prioritization of and commitment to gaming) rather than a form of emerging problem gambling. Our reading of the evidence supports previous arguments in favor of greater regulation of loot-boxes in video-games rated suitable for minors (Drummond et al., 2019;Zendle & Bowden-Jones, 2019). Not only do loot boxes appear to be structurally akin to gambling (Drummond & Sauer, 2018), but they seem to appeal to similar people, which is consistent with concerns about the similar psychological influence of both activities. ...
Similarities between video-games and gambling have led to the proposition that video-gaming could act as a ‘gateway’ activity for gambling. In this paper, we review the major lines of evidence advanced to support this idea, including evidence for the co-occurrence of the two activities; the relationship between problem gambling and problem gaming; and, studies of gambling and loot boxes. Our review suggests that, at best, only a small correlation exists between overall gambling and video-game engagement and this may often be accounted for by underlying demographic and personality variables. We find even less evidence to support a direct relationship between problem gaming and problem gambling. However, problem gambling symptoms appear to be positively related to loot-box purchases. Gamblers who play video-games may be attracted to features that enable them to engage in risk-taking via familiar systems of variable reinforcement. Less evidence supports the view that loot-boxes encourage gambling or facilitate an entry point into other types of gambling, including those associated with gaming (e.g. esports betting). Overall, this review found little convincing evidence in support of the ‘gateway hypothesis’ and suggests that further longitudinal research is necessary to strengthen our understanding of the links between video-gaming and gambling.
... As noted in [16], loot boxes share distinct similarities with gambling. This has led to concerns that engaging with loot boxes may lead to increases in gambling amongst gamers [17]. Evidence for this causal mechanism is unclear. ...
It is now common practice for video game companies to not just sell copies of games themselves, but to also sell in-game bonuses or items for a small real-world fee. These purchases may be purely aesthetic (cosmetic microtransactions) or confer in-game advantages (pay to win microtransactions), and may also contain these items as randomised contents of uncertain value (loot boxes). The growth of microtransactions has attracted substantial interest from both gamers, academics, and policymakers. However, it is not clear either how frequently exposed players are to these features in desktop games, or when any growth in exposure occurred. In order to address this, we analysed the play history of the 463 most-played Steam desktop games from 2010 to 2019. Results of exploratory joinpoint analyses suggested that cosmetic microtransactions and loot boxes experienced rapid growth during 2012–2014, leading to high levels of exposure by April 2019: 71.2% of the sample played games with loot boxes at this point, and 85.89% played games with cosmetic microtransactions. By contrast, pay to win microtransactions did not appear to experience similar growth in desktop games during the period, rising gradually to an exposure rate of 17.3% by November 2015, at which point growth decelerated significantly (p<0.001) to the point where it was not significantly different from zero (p = 0.32).
Children have the right to play (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989), yet their opportunities to play on their own terms (free play) are under pressure, including online. Drawing on an analysis of the qualities of children’s free play across time and cultures, a nationally representative survey of UK 6- to 17-year olds compared their experiences of play across digital and non-digital contexts to identify design features that enhance or undermine children’s digital play and propose evidence-based recommendations for digital products and services likely to be used by children. Children viewed digital play more critically than non-digital play although both were judged poorly on key qualities of ‘intrinsically motivated’, ‘voluntary’, ‘risk-taking’ and ‘safety’. Logistical regression analysis shows that rights-respecting design features contribute to children’s enjoyment of digital play more than premium or freemium designs do, thus supporting Playful by Design recommendations that can benefit children.
There are many ways to monetize video games: from the simple direct purchase to the system of “games as a service”. There are, however, forms of monetization that show strong indications of being detrimental to consumers, such as the so-called “loot boxes” that are offered during gameplay. No study so far has categorically proven whether or not loot boxes cause a dependency or lead to gambling addiction, therefore this study seeks to perform a systematic literature review to determine which studies and experiments were performed, in order to: 1) determine the harmful effects of loot box consumption; 2) compare the results found in these studies; 3) identify gaps in the methodology applied to suggest further research that might lead to stronger conclusions and 4) check if there are studies in the field of responsible computing of articles that aim to minimize the harmful effects of loot box in humans. These studies could be useful in, for example, supporting the drafting of regulatory legislation for the use of microtransactions in video games, and consumer protection and the need to research computational algorithms to try to reduce potential addictive effects generated by loot boxes, which is part of responsible computing. In this study, although this systematic review shows that these studies still do not prove that loot boxes lead to gambling addiction, they do show that there is a correlation between them and there is still a need for more studies in the field of computing area dedicated to the research of algorithms that seek to minimize the potentially harmful effects of loot box in humans.
To optimise income, video game developers incorporate microtransactions into their games. One such microtransaction is a loot box. This is a container that a gamer in certain instances can win or purchase to take a chance on the unknown contents in the hope of obtaining an item that may be useful in the progression of the game. In the case of tradable loot boxes, these items won can also be traded or sold for cash either during the game or on a third-party marketplace. Research has shown that loot boxes are potentially harmful to minors and that there is possibly a link between loot boxes and problem gambling. The labelling of the games seems inadequate as it does not always warn gamers and/or parents of the potentially harmful content. It has also been argued that these loot boxes are an example of the convergence between gambling and gaming in that gambling and gambling-like opportunities are becoming more prevalent in video games. Notwithstanding existing research, the industry has not been forthcoming in addressing these problems. There are some exceptions where the developers amended their games after the gaming community reacted negatively to the introduction of loot boxes or when forced to do so by regulations or other third-party service providers. The call for self-regulation by the industry to adopt a set of ethical guidelines to address these concerns has not yielded the desired results. As a result of the lacklustre actions of the industry, some jurisdictions have addressed these problems through regulation. The mechanisms used by these jurisdictions differ, ranging from the banning of loot boxes to a mere acknowledgement of the potential problems without taking any action. Even where (tradable) loot boxes fall within the legal definition of gambling in national legislation, enforcement has been inconsistent as some argue that using gambling regulatory frameworks to protect vulnerable groups is inappropriate. After discussing these debates and global developments, the article concludes with a discussion of the current South African legal situation vis-à-vis loot boxes with specific reference to the constitutional and international law imperatives, the Film and Publications Board classifications, the consumer protection legislation, and the gambling regulatory framework. It finally provides suggestions for legal changes that may be feasible considering the lessons learnt from abroad.
Las tecnologías de la información y comunicación (TIC) se han instaurado como un elemento fundamental en nuestro día a día. Sin embargo, sus beneficios se han visto empañados, con frecuencia, por los riesgos inherentes al espacio virtual. Uno de los elementos que más interés ha generado por sus implicaciones es el juego de azar online. A pesar de que su acceso se encuentra regulado, han surgido nuevas dinámicas que pretenden burlar estas restricciones emplazando mecánicas de azar en productos dirigidos a menores: hablamos de las loot boxes, un sistema de adquisición de artículos aleatorios –previo pago con dinero real– dentro de los videojuegos, cuyo funcionamiento ha sido equiparado al de las máquinas tragaperras. Aunque estas cajas se han relacionado con el consumo problemático de videojuegos y de otros juegos de azar, no se contemplan como tales en la Ley de regulación del juego en España, de manera que los menores se encuentran en una situación de desprotección ante esta problemática. Así, con el fin de visibilizar esta casuística y dotar a familias y educadores de herramientas, en el presente trabajo se aborda este fenómeno desde un triple enfoque: descriptivo, jurídico y psicoeducativo. Se proponen, desde la experiencia terapéutica y asistencial, señales de alarma con las que poder identificar un consumo de riesgo de loot boxes, así como pautas de actuación para familias y profesorado.
A convergence of gaming and gambling products, services, and platforms is presently drawing considerable policy debate. This convergence may be giving rise to a critical area of consumer vulnerability given the addictive potential of gaming and gambling. While some convergence aspects are gaining research attention, the broader contexts of the phenomenon have not been adequately examined. In light of this, the present study aimed to inform four key enquiry areas pertaining to gaming-gambling convergence—contexts and drivers, definitions and framings, risk and harm, and legislative response. Using a narrative review method, 108 articles from the academic and grey literature were examined and thematically summarised to provide an overview of the convergence phenomenon. Findings indicate convergence in multiple overlapping contexts (gaming elements in gambling, games incorporating gambling elements, gambling on games, free simulated online gambling, and social media games and gambling) driven by technological advances and commercial interests. Findings related to definitions and framing include the industry’s strategic use of the term gaming to reduce negative connotations associated with gambling, and community perceptions of gaming as legitimate and harmless entertainment. Potential risks include transitions from games (without money) to real-money gambling, and problem co-existence. Legislative responses are beginning to emerge with the greatest focus being on loot boxes in games. However, the limited evidence of risk and harm has led to hesitancies in legislative actions to regulate gaming-gambling hybrids in some jurisdictions. Considering that convergence is supported by rapid advances in technology and is taking place largely on the Internet (accessible 24 h), harms for consumers could manifest quickly and spread broadly across societies before their existence and severity are established. Based on the Precautionary Principle, the present evidence base call for harm prevention policies and regulations in addition to changes in the definition of money (including digital currency and microtransaction) in gaming and gambling laws.
Loot boxes are items in video games that can be paid for with real-world money but contain randomized contents. Many games that feature loot boxes are played by adolescents. Similarities between loot boxes and gambling have led to concern that they are linked to the development of problem gambling in adolescents. Previous research has shown links between loot boxes and problem gambling in adult populations. However, thus far, there is no empirical evidence of either the size or existence of a link between loot box spending and problem gambling in adolescents. A large-scale survey of 16- to 18-year-olds (n = 1155) found evidence for such a link (η2 = 0.120). The link between loot box spending and problem gambling among these older adolescents was of moderate to large magnitude. It was stronger than relationships previously observed in adults. Qualitative analysis of text data showed that gamers bought loot boxes for a variety of reasons. Several of these motivations were similar to common reasons for engaging in gambling. Overall, these results suggest that loot boxes either cause problem gambling among older adolescents, allow game companies to profit from adolescents with gambling problems for massive monetary rewards, or both of the above. Possible strategies for regulation and restriction are given.
Background and Aims Loot boxes are items in video games that may be bought for real-world money but provide randomized rewards. Formal similarities between loot boxes and gambling have led to concerns that they may provide a ‘gateway’ to gambling amongst children. However, the availability of loot boxes is unclear. This study aimed to determine what proportion of top-grossing video games contained loot boxes, and how many of those games were available to children. Design, setting and cases Survey of the 100 top-grossing games on both the Google Play store and the Apple App store, and the top 50 most-played games on Steam according to the data aggregator SteamSpy. Measurements The prevalence of loot boxes was measured for each platform outlined above, split by age rating. Findings A total of 58.0%of the top games on the Google Play store contained loot boxes, 59.0%of the top iPhone games contained loot boxes and 36.0% of the top games on the Steamstore contained loot boxes; 93.1% of the Android games that featured loot boxes and 94.9% of the iPhone games that featured loot boxes were deemed suitable for children aged 12+. Age ratings were more conservative for desktop games. Only 38.8% of desktop games that featured loot boxes were available to children aged 12+. Conclusions Loot boxes appear to be prevalent in video games that are deemed suitable for children, especially on mobile platforms.
Background and aims:
Loot boxes are items in video games that may be bought for real-world money but provide randomised rewards. Formal similarities between loot boxes and gambling have led to concerns that they may provide a 'gateway' to gambling amongst children. However, the availability of loot boxes is unclear. This study aimed to determine what proportion of top-grossing video games contained loot boxes, and how many of those games were available to children.
Design, setting, cases:
Survey of the 100 top-grossing games on both the Google Play store and the Apple App store, and the top 50 most-played games on Steam according to the data aggregator SteamSpy.
Measurements:
The prevalence of loot boxes was measured for each platform outlined above, split by age rating.
Findings:
58.0% of the top games on the Google Play store contained loot boxes; 59.0% of the top iPhone games contained loot boxes; and 36.0% of the top games on the Steam store contained loot boxes. 93.1% of the Android games that featured loot boxes and 94.9% of the iPhone games that featured loot boxes were deemed suitable for children aged 12+. Age ratings were more conservative for desktop games: Only 38.8% of desktop games that featured loot boxes were available to children aged 12+.
Conclusions:
Loot boxes appear to be prevalent in video games that are deemed suitable for children, especially on mobile platforms.
Loot boxes are virtual items in many video games that let players to “gamble” on an item of chance. Loot boxes bring an element of gambling into video games, which might prime video game users to engage in online gambling activities. However, few studies have focused on this emerging issue. The present study investigated the relationships between loot box purchases and problem video gaming and problem gambling severity. Cross-sectional, self-report data were collected from 618 adult video gamers (M = 27 years of age, SD = 8.9, 63.7% male) via an online survey. Nearly half of the sample (44.2%) spent money on loot box purchases in the past year. Loot box purchasers played video games and gambled online more frequently, reported more extended gaming and online gambling sessions, and endorsed higher levels of problem video gaming and problem gambling severity as well as greater mental distress relative to those who did not buy loot boxes. Results from a series of path analyses revealed that loot box purchasing was directly related to problem video gaming and problem gambling severity as well as indirectly through an increased video gaming/online gambling engagement, which in turn is related to elevated psychological distress. The present findings provide insight into the role of loot box purchasing in the transition from recreational engagement in video gaming and online gambling to problem video gaming and/or problem gambling.
Video games are increasingly exposing young players to randomized in-game reward mechanisms, purchasable for real money — so-called loot boxes. Do loot boxes constitute a form of gambling?