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According to a study by the Australian Environmental and Communications Reference Committee, loot boxes in games could lead to gambling problems. More than 7,400 game enthusiasts were surveyed for the study, whose results were presented at a public hearing yesterday in Canberra, as part of the Australian Senate's investigation into micro-transactions and luck-based articles.
Participants who suffered from a serious gambling problem were more likely to spend money on loot, according to the study. "These results support the position of academics who claim that loot boxes are psychologically related to gambling," the article says.
"Spending large sums of money on chests was associated with problematic spending levels for other forms of gambling. That's what you would expect if vaults were psychologically a form of gambling. that, psychologically comparable to baseball cards. "
The report suggests that loot boxes could be a gateway to problem gambling, noting that loot boxes share "important features" with problem gambling. "They can therefore condition players to demand the excitement associated with the game, leading to gambling problems." The opposite could be true too, according to the study: problem gamblers may find themselves attracted to loot boxes.
Among the ECRC's recommendations is the fact that games with loot boxes must be reserved for players of playing age (18 years old, in Australia). The games would also be required to carry warnings about the presence of booty boxes, as well as notices to parents.
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