A new study carried out by the Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory (EGRL) of the Central Queensland University has found a link between loot boxes and gambling-related harm. The research found that individuals, who purchase so-called loot boxes, are more likely to become gamblers in real life. In addition, such players were more likely to place larger bets and more often in comparison to others who do not purchase such in-game items.
The research, prepared for the Responsible Gambling Fund of the NSW Government, took into consideration the behaviour of 1,954 individuals between 12 and 24 years old, who are living in the state. The age group was chosen because they are considered more vulnerable to gambling-related and video-game related harm.
Of the people, who took part in the research, 22.3% of participants confessed that they had faced gambling problems.
According to the EGRL analysis of the existing video games sector, 62% of the most popular video games feature in-game items in some form, including loot boxes. The majority of the research respondents (93.2%) had played at least one of these games over the last 12 months, with almost 70% of them confirming they have opened a loot box at the time. However, only 32.9% of young people who participated in the research had bought these loot boxes.
According to the results of the study, the average amount spent by youngsters aged from 12 to 17 was AU$50, while young adults aged 18 to 24 spent AU$72.
A Link Between Loot Boxes and Gambling Found by the Australian Study
The research showed that the most popular reason for buying a loot box was to make quicker progress while playing video games, with gambling highlighted as another main reason for buying in-game items by more than 21% of adolescents and over 27% of young adults.
The majority of young people, who took part in the study, confirmed that loot boxes could cause addiction, especially considering the positive effect of these purchases on their mental health. More than 50% of them agreed loot boxes were a type of gambling.
The co-author of the study Dr Alex Russell explained that loot boxes in video games are equal to gambling, because players spend time and money to get them. Apart from that, Dr Russell reminded that loot boxes create a sense of thrill as they could gain a rare and valuable reward at the time they purchase the items.
The individuals, who participated in the study, were questioned when they opened their first loot box and it turned out that young adults, who first opened one no more than 12 to 24 months before the research took place were more likely to be currently gambling, to gamble more frequently or to have become problem gamblers.
Lately, loot boxes have been among anti-gambling campaigners’ growing concerns because of the elements of risk and reward associated with them. Campaigners claim that these elements make loot boxes pretty much similar to gambling, and the worst part is that there are actually no age limits to play video games featuring such in-game items.
The latest Australian study on the matter draws a clear line between current use of loot boxes and gambling, with the individuals who took part in the research being more likely to have gambled over the last 12 months, or to have done that more frequently, or to have spent more money in comparison to a previous year. Furthermore, a major link between the two activities was outlined by the study, which also identified significant risks associated with loot boxes for both adolescents and young adults.
- Author
Daniel Williams
