An Australian survey finds that gamers who buy loot boxes are more likely to be problem gamblers. The study is part of growing research into the topic of video game loot boxes with a survey from June finding that more than two-thirds of gamers think that loot boxes are gambling.
The CQUniversity, Australia’s Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory (EGRL) for the NSW Government Responsible Gambling Fund, has put together a survey looking at the hypothesis that loot boxes are "grooming" young people for gambling. The study looked at the gaming behaviors of 1,954 people aged 12-24 living in New South Wales, Australia's largest state by population.
While just 32.9% of those surveyed had spent money on loot boxes, the average amount spent is around USD$32 a month by 12-17 year olds (adolescents) and USD$51 a month by 18-24 year olds (adults). This perhaps explains how publishers like Activision Blizzard make so much money from microtransactions each year.
Of those who do purchase loot boxes, there is a range of reasons as to why they spend so much money on them. Surprisingly, 69.3% of adults and 73.6% of adolescents said that they spend on loot boxes because they want "to gain items to advance more quickly in the game." This is despite the fact that loot boxes in games like Star Wars Battlefront 2 were criticized as being "pay to win." This criticism has led many publishers, including EA which removed loot boxes from that game, to take out gameplay-affecting items from random reward drops like this.
59% of adolescents and 65.6% of adults said that the excitement around loot boxes is why they spend on them, while 44.3% of adolescents and 48.2% of adults say that they do it to compete against other players. In modes such as FIFA Ultimate Team, which features loot box-style card packs, getting better players is the single easiest way to go up against and beat more skilled players online.
Out of all players surveyed, 53.8% felt that loot boxes in games are gambling and 73.1% feel that loot boxes are "addictive." In 2017, the Entertainment Software Association or ESA, said that loot boxes are not gambling. This suggests that the ESA, which represents game publishers, is a little out of touch on that one.
The study also found that of adult survey takers who completed the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), 22.3% were problem gamblers compared to 55.8% of those who are non-problem gamblers. "There was a strong association between current loot box use and gambling risk," said the survey. Those who have purchased a loot box in the last 12 months are more likely to have gambled in the last 12 months.
However, this doesn't necessarily indicate causation and it could be that gamblers seek out games with loot boxes because of their addiction. A 2019 survey also found that video game loot boxes may promote gambling but may not turn players into gamblers.