Gaming 'loot boxes' linked to problem gambling
Gamers who purchase 'loot boxes' - digital treasure chests filled with random items that you buy in games using real-world currency - are more likely to have a problem with gambling, according to new research.
A study published in Addiction Research & Theory has found that 57 percent of adults surveyed who had bought loot boxes had gambled in the same year, compared to 37 percent of a control group who hadn't bought the virtual items.
While previous studies have found a link between loot box purchasing, gambling and problem gambling, this study explored whether this link was due to psychological risk factors for gambling, such as childhood neglect, emotional distress, and the tendency to act rashly when upset.
After analysing the purchase history and questionnaires of 1,189 Canadian university students, along with 499 adults recruited from the community, they found that a similar proportion of the students and adults had bought loot boxes, with an average spend between $90.63 and $240.94 respectively.
Among the students, 28 percent of loot box-purchasers also gambled, in comparison to 19 percent of those who hadn't bought any loot boxes.
Students who reported buying more loot boxes and other 'riskier' habits were also more likely to have a gambling habit.
While this wasn't seen in the adult group, the authors argue this may be due to the small sample size.
"Findings indicate that loot box purchasing represents an important marker of risk for gambling and problem gambling among people who play video games," Sophie Coelho, a PhD student at Toronto’s York University, said.
"The persistent associations we observed between loot box purchasing and gambling may provide preliminary support for the role of loot boxes as a 'gateway' to gambling and eventually problem gambling.
"Loot boxes may prime people to gamble and increase susceptibility to problem gambling."
As for the role of gambling risk factors, the authors found that adverse childhood experiences, like abuse and neglect, were "most consistently associated with an increased likelihood of past-year gambling and greater problem gambling".
They concluded that those with troubled upbringings have a "heightened vulnerability" to develop a gambling problem.
“This may be compounded by engaging with gambling-like features embedded in video games, such as loot boxes," they added.
Loot boxes, also called loot or prize crates, have become the subject of controversy recently, with concerns that their use of random chance to give players randomised weapons, armour, and items they can use to customise their character could be a form of gambling.
In some games, loot boxes became a way to “pay to win”, with items that can affect gameplay and offer a competitive advantage, driving players to pay for more loot boxes to get items that allow them to compete with other players.
Some countries have begun to introduce laws to regulate loot boxes, with Belgium and the Netherlands banning loot boxes altogether.
In Australia, a law to restrict the use of loot boxes in games aimed at children has been proposed which could see games with loot boxes given a rating of R18+ or RC (“Refused Classification”, so they can't be sold in Australia) and carry warning labels.
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