According to new research published today in the peer-reviewed journal Addiction Research & Theory, gamers who purchase loot boxes are up to two times more likely to wager. According to the findings based on more than 1,600 adults in Canada, they are also more likely to have a gambling problem than players who do not acquire these “virtual” treasure chests.
According to the authors, the findings call into question the hypothesis that psychological factors link gambling to loot boxes, which are banned in several countries, such as Belgium, and under consideration for legislation in many others around the world.
Their research shows that the link between these video game traits and gambling persists even after adjusting for childhood neglect, depression, and other recognized risk factors for gambling.
The authors say their findings have potential implications for policymakers and for healthcare. They call for more research into the benefits of damage reduction features, with some online platforms already implementing them, such as telling players about the odds of winning when they buy a loot box.
“Findings indicate that buying loot boxes is a major risk factor for gambling and problem gambling among people who play video games,” said Sophie Coelho, a PhD student at York University, Toronto.
“The persistent associations we observed between loot box buying and gambling may provide tentative support for the role of loot boxes as a ‘gateway’ to gambling and ultimately problem gambling.
“Loot boxes can encourage people to gamble and increase susceptibility to problem gambling.”
Loot boxes are designed to entice players and are often paid for with real money. They contain a random set of virtual things like weapons or new characters and are usually controlled, unlike online gambling.
There is already evidence of a link between treasury purchases and gambling, as well as compulsive gambling. What is not known is whether this occurs due to recognized psychological risk factors for gambling.
The authors examined last year’s loot box purchases among 1,189 students from five Canadian institutions and 499 individuals recruited for this study through an online crowdsourcing platform and an online survey/survey site.
All participants ages 18 and older answered an online questionnaire about their video game and addiction behaviors, as well as their mental health and other issues.
The study took into account more psychological risk variables for gambling than previous research. These include emotional turmoil, impulsive behavior when aroused, and negative childhood events such as abuse and neglect.
According to the findings, a similar number (17 percent) of students and community members purchased loot boxes, spending an average of $90.63 (approximately Rs. 7,500) and $240.94 (approximately Rs. 20,000) respectively. In both participation groups, the majority identified as male.
More than a quarter (28 percent) of students who bought loot boxes reported gambling in the previous year, compared to 19 percent of non-buyers. More than half (57 percent) of adults in the community who bought them gambled, as did 38 percent of non-buyers.
Students who reported riskier loot box purchasing patterns (e.g. buying more loot boxes) were more likely to have a problem with gambling. This was not the case for community members, which the researchers attribute to the limited sample size.
Adverse childhood experiences were consistently associated with an increased likelihood of gambling in the past year and more problem gambling among all psychological risk factors.
The authors say this may suggest that those with difficult upbringings have an increased vulnerability to develop gambling problems. They add, “This can be compounded by engaging in gambling-like features embedded in video games, such as loot boxes.”
However, while the scientific team adjusted “for a wide range of transdiagnostic psychological variables,” they state that one of the limitations of their study is that they failed to account for every psychological, sociodemographic, or gambling or gambling-related confounder of associations between buying of loot boxes and gambling – of which “undoubtedly exist”.
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