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. 2018 Nov 21;13(11):e0206767.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206767. eCollection 2018.

Video game loot boxes are linked to problem gambling: Results of a large-scale survey

David Zendle  1 , Paul Cairns  2
Affiliations

Video game loot boxes are linked to problem gambling: Results of a large-scale survey

David Zendle et al. PLoS One. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Loot boxes are items in video games that can be paid for with real-world money and contain randomised contents. In recent years, loot boxes have become increasingly common. There is concern in the research community that similarities between loot boxes and gambling may lead to increases in problem gambling amongst gamers. A large-scale survey of gamers (n = 7,422) found evidence for a link (η2 = 0.054) between the amount that gamers spent on loot boxes and the severity of their problem gambling. This link was stronger than a link between problem gambling and buying other in-game items with real-world money (η2 = 0.004), suggesting that the gambling-like features of loot boxes are specifically responsible for the observed relationship between problem gambling and spending on loot boxes. It is unclear from this study whether buying loot boxes acts as a gateway to problem gambling, or whether spending large amounts of money on loot boxes appeals more to problem gamblers. However, in either case these results suggest that there may be good reason to regulate loot boxes in games.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Box-plot of spend on loot boxes, split by severity of problem gambling.
Hinges represent 25th and 75th percentiles. Whiskers represent 1.5 times the IQR. Cental line represents the median. Circles represent outliers.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Box-plot of spend on other micro-transactions in games, split by severity of problem gambling Hinges represent 25th and 75th percentiles.
Whiskers represent 1.5 times the IQR. Cental line represents the median. Circles represent outliers.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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