Youngsters in Britain Spend Millions of Pounds on In-app Purchases and Video Game Add-ons Yearly

A survey by the Safer Online Gambling Group has exposed that the young people in Britain are spending millions of pounds every year on in-app purchases and video game add-ons.

The survey estimates that young people and families could be losing over £270m each year through loot boxes. The average spend on in-game content per person was estimated at £500-600 per year.

One in ten young people are thought to have accidentally spent money on in-app purchases and 95% used gaming apps on their mobile or tablet devices according to the report.

Safer Online Gambling Group, led by entrepreneur Adam Bradford and his father David, was born out of the pair’s joint concern about gambling addiction and gaming which mimics gambling for children. The pair has campaigned against Fixed Odds Betting Terminals and lobby for tighter regulation on online gambling.

The group has the support of the Labour party, several MPs, the NHS and leading bookmakers. The pair will hand in the research to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and they are calling on the industry and Government to act.