Studies find links between loot box spending and problem gambling

New research has proved that there is a strong link between problematic gambling behaviours and spending money on loot boxes.

The results of the research are published in the journal PLOS One as two studies. The results indicate that people who spend more money on loot boxes are also more likely to be unable to keep their gambling habits in check.

“Loot boxes are extremely widespread. A recent analysis we did showed that they may feature in as many as 63% of mobile games. They’re extremely profitable, too: They’re estimated to have perhaps generated as much as $30 billion in revenue in 2018,” said study author David Zendle of York St. John University.

“They’re also highly worrying — there are clear parallels between loot boxes and potentially harmful activities like gambling. Given their prevalence, importance, and the lack of literature on them, I think a good question is ‘Why weren’t more people running these studies?’”

The researchers had 1172 gamers complete psychological surveys regarding problem gambling and loot box spending.

The participants all reported regularly playing at least of one of ten popular games that feature loot boxes: Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, League of Legends, Hearthstone, Overwatch, Counter-Strike: GO, FIFA 18, Rocket League, DOTA 2, Team Fortress 2, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege.

“There is a link between loot box spending and problem gambling. However, we’re not sure if this means that loot boxes literally cause problem gambling, or if it means that people who are already problem gamblers spend significantly more money on loot boxes. In either case, though, it doesn’t look socially beneficial.”

On average, the participants reported spending $19.58 on loot boxes in the past month. But some had spent up to $2300.

The study replicates the finding of previous research conducted by Zendle and published in 2018. That study, which examined 7422 gamers, found that people with more severe gambling problems tended to spend more on loot boxes.