Study Links Gambling & Loot Boxes

Hold on, I need to dress appropriately (a hazmat suit) to go diving in the sewage plant of hell once again: Let’s discuss loot boxes. EA has been one of those at the heart of the majority of the controversy when it comes to the random chance mechanics, or as EA’s lawyer once called them, “surprise mechanics.” Our most recent article on the loot box mess was on the German law that is set to give any game with loot boxes in it an 18 rating. That is where I’ve said a majority of the talking points I’d rather not retread here.

WOnce again they are being called into question as a new bit of research puts them onto death row. The research commissioned by GambleAware, conducted by the University of Plymouth and the University of Wolverhampton, claims that of around the 93% of kids that play games, 40% have/do open loot boxes. They went on to link the behaviors of gambling and loot boxes in what is described as “unambiguous,” with 12 of 13 publications between 2018 and 2020 noting a positive correlation.

Many notable examples of the loot box within the study are EA’s FIFA Ultimate Team player packs, Valve’s Team Fortress 2, Nintendo’s Pokémon Go, Activision’s Overwatch, and more. They have drawn a direct line between the dressing of these reveals/openings, such as sounds and visuals, abilities to cash in and out before opening, limited-edition versions, and other gambling-based endorphin releases that are purposeful in their design. These matter particularly when noting: “many gamers do ascribe discrete financial values to loot box contents – based on purchase or resale price – suggesting that many loot boxes meet existing criteria for gambling regulation.”

A highlight was put on spending spread over six available surveys consisting of about 7,771 buyers of loot boxes. The “Whales,” as termed within the industry for high spending ($100 or more a month) users, accounted for a small section of the data the study covered, but consist of a disproportionate amount of the revenue generated. The study found that one-third of those who are within the subgroup fall into the group of “problem gambler.”

In the conclusion, the paper by James Close & Joanne Lloyd notes the usual next steps that are being rebuked by the likes of EA, Activision, and others. Disclose the odds, oversight, label games appropriately, provisions for research into the monetization, define what they are, and allow limitations to be set for those at risk.

The closing remarks state: “When reviewing the academic evidence, our systematic review has established that engagement with loot boxes has been robustly associated with problem gambling behaviors in around a dozen studies.” Going on to say of loot boxes, “They exist in a complex ecosystem that includes eSports betting, social casinos[,] and skin-betting.” They are one tiny part of a system supported by “[DLC], season passes, events, add-ons[,] and in-game items.” Find the time to read the entire study linked above.