Sunday, April 2, 2023
No Result
View All Result
Esports Grizzly
  • Home
  • GamesUpdates!
    • Apex Legends
    • Brawl Stars
    • Call of Duty
    • CS:GO
    • Dota 2
    • FIFA
    • Fortnite
    • Free Fire
    • Hearthstone
    • League of Legends (LoL)
    • Magic the Gathering (MTG)
    • Mobile Legends
    • NBA 2K League
    • Overwatch
    • Rainbow 6
    • Rocket League
    • Smite
    • StarCraft II
    • Street Fighter
    • Valorant
    • Wild Rift
    • World of Warcraft (WoW)
  • Esports Betting SitesNew
    • Bitcasino Esports Review | Evil Geniuses’ Home Esports Bookmaker
    • Sportsbet.io Esports Review
    • Cloudbet Esports Review | Is Cloudbet Legit?
    • Betway Esports Review
    • Luckbox Review (2021) – Is Luckbox Esports Safe?
    • GG.Bet Esports Review | League of Legends, Dota 2 and CS:GO
    • Rivalry Esports Review
    • Pinnacle Esports Review
  • Guides
    • Australia Esports Betting Sites
    • Canadian Esports Betting Sites
    • Philippines Esports Betting Sites
    • USA Esports Betting Sites
    • Dogecoin Esports Betting Sites
  • Newsletter
  • About us
  • Contact
Sunday, April 2, 2023
No Result
View All Result
Esports Grizzly
No Result
View All Result

loot-box-overwatch

Image credit: Esports.com

GambleAware Says Loot Boxes Are Gambling in Report

in Industry
April 5, 2021
  • A new report commissioned by GambleAware has proven a definitive link between loot boxes and gambling
  • The report has established that 5% of all loot box spenders are generating over half of the total revenue
  • According to one of the authors, Dr James Close, people who can't afford to spend money on loot boxes have been investing heavily in loot boxes

A new survey commissioned by GambleAware in the United Kingdom has established strong evidence of a link between gambling and loot boxes.

Loot Boxes Are Gambling, Report Says 

A new report by the Universities of Plymouth and Wolverhampton has shed light on the inherent link between loot boxes and gambling. Long a debated topic and often dismissed by game publishers, the latest report is proof that in-game purchases may be a bit too close to regular gambling.

The report used more robust wording, arguing that loot boxes “are structurally and psychologically akin to gambling.” This means that the United Kingdom may soon follow the Netherland and Belgium's footsteps, which both banned loot boxes, arguing that the mechanics resembled gambling and exposed underage individuals to problem gambling.

With the United Kingdom currently reviewing its gambling laws, the opportunity is on the cards to seek tighter control on loot boxes. Naturally, this would most likely not appeal to game developers and publishers.

Without going into the numbers too much, the UK has seen sales surge, and gamers globally were spending around $50 million on loot box purchases as early as 2018.  

Taking the Mystery out of the Box

The nature of loot boxes has been speculated about for years now. Some have decried the boxes as gambling mechanics and dismissed them altogether, insisting that they should be regulated by the same law that controls regular gambling games, such as casinos, in check and beyond the reach of vulnerable and underage individuals.

Some publishers have tried to appease the wave of discontent by adding drop percentages to their loot boxes, i.e., the chances of an item dropping or the item are contained in any given box. That has not stopped the pushback.

The report commissioned by GambleAware has found out that some 93% of children in the country play video games, and an estimated 40% have opened loot boxes. Even more shockingly, though, only 5% of consumers drive over half of the entire sales in the market for loot boxes.

Those are dangerous levels, and if the argument that loot boxes are gambling is true, then the parallel means that there are high numbers of problem gambling going unnoticed among gamblers. 

Let's Give You a “Nudge”

The report goes even further, arguing that loot boxes are designed in a way that gives players a “psychological nudge” to buy more. Some popular mechanics described by the report include the fear of missing out and the profuse use of limited-time-only offers.

Players are spending an average of $70 to $100 on loot boxes every month, the report continues, but the spenders aren't necessarily well off or even able to afford to buy loot boxes:

“Our research, therefore, demonstrates that games developers, unwittingly or not, appear to be generating outsized loot box profits from at-risk individuals (these are likely to include both people with gambling problems or problematic patterns of video gaming) – but not from wealthy gamers.”

GambleAware

Take Care of Our Young 

Dr James Close, who is one of the authors of the joint report, has said that the link between loot boxes and “behaviors” reminding of gambling is now established. At-risk individuals, including problem gamblers and young people, as well as gamers, make “disproportionate contributions to loot box revenues.”

Commenting on the report, GambleAware boss Zoe Osmond said that her organization was concerned about how much gambling has permeated products that are targeting children and young people. 

Osmond, though, is confident that the government now has a golden opportunity to put loot boxes under a microscope and make sure that they are addressed properly. 

Tags: GambleAwareLoot BoxesUnited Kingdom
Stoyan TodorovbyStoyan Todorov
Tags: GambleAwareLoot BoxesUnited Kingdom
Home » GambleAware Says Loot Boxes Are Gambling in Report
ShareShareTweetShareSend
league-of-legends-clash-between-champions
Blog

Betting on League of Legends: Top 5 Sites to Wager Using Bitcoin

by Papa Bear
September 15, 2022

Few games have captured the hearts of the wider audiences quite like Riot Games’ masterpiece League of Legends has. The...

Read more
overwatch-female-characters
Opinion

Women in Esports: How Esports Are Moving Towards a More Inclusive Future

by Stefan Velikov
October 25, 2021

Gaming has long been regarded as something reserved for nerdy boys. As times change women join in on the fun...

Read more
v-bucks-currency-in-fortnite
Blog

Bitcoin Esports: Best Crypto Esports Betting Sites

by Alexander Todorov
January 23, 2022

Bitcoin esports betting is on the rise. The idea of placing wagers on your favorite esports teams is an experience...

Read more
Previous Post

Catawba College and SPIN – Hand in Hand to Provide an Esports Scholarship

Next Post

KAMK Janus Pitkänen: “Having a Plan B Doesn’t Hurt”

Latest and Popular

E3 event
Industry

E3 2023 Has Been Canceled

by Stefan Velikov
March 31, 2023
ESI's official event date for June 2023.
Industry

Here Are the Dates for This Year’s ESI Singapore and ESI London

by Stoyan Todorov
March 2, 2023
activision-blizzard-logos-in-black-and-white
Industry

Activision Accused of Unlawfully Firing Two QA Testers over Home Office Policies Protests

by Stefan Velikov
March 1, 2023
ludwig-streamer-01
Industry

Ludwig Is the New Co-owner of Moist Esports

by Stefan Velikov
January 27, 2023

Next Post
janus-pitkanen-kamkm-esports-coordinator

KAMK Janus Pitkänen: "Having a Plan B Doesn't Hurt"

eSports Grizzly Mobile Dark
eSports Grizzly Mobile Dark

Content Categories

  • Blog
  • Call of Duty
  • College Esports
  • Consoles
  • Cosplay
  • Counter Strike
  • DOTA 2
  • FGC
  • Fortnite
  • Gaming
  • Halo
  • Hearthstone
  • Industry
  • League of Legends
  • Mobile Legends
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Overwatch
  • Popular
  • PUBG
  • Q&A
  • Rainbow Six Siege
  • Rocket League
  • Streamers
  • Uncategorized
  • Valorant

Recent Posts

  • E3 2023 Has Been Canceled
  • Counter-Strike 2 Players Find Another Way to Get Wallhacks, Again
  • Bad News Eagles Sign ⁠kRYSTAL As a New Assistant Coach

About Esports Grizzly

We bring you the best Premium esports content from around the globe.

Our FREE weekly newsletter

Keep in the loop with our minimalist weekly newsletter. Subscribe today!

GET IN TOUCH

Esports Grizzly reports on the latest industry and gaming intelligence, Want to pitch in? Get in touch!

  • Home
  • About us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact

© 2021 Esports Grizzly - Your daily BITE of global esports

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Games
    • Apex Legends
    • Brawl Stars
    • Call of Duty
    • CS:GO
    • Dota 2
    • FIFA
    • Fortnite
    • Free Fire
    • Hearthstone
    • League of Legends (LoL)
    • Magic the Gathering (MTG)
    • Mobile Legends
    • NBA 2K League
    • Overwatch
    • Rainbow 6
    • Rocket League
    • Smite
    • StarCraft II
    • Street Fighter
    • Valorant
    • Wild Rift
    • World of Warcraft (WoW)
  • Esports Betting Sites
    • Bitcasino Esports Review | Evil Geniuses’ Home Esports Bookmaker
    • Sportsbet.io Esports Review
    • Cloudbet Esports Review | Is Cloudbet Legit?
    • Betway Esports Review
    • Luckbox Review (2021) – Is Luckbox Esports Safe?
    • GG.Bet Esports Review | League of Legends, Dota 2 and CS:GO
    • Rivalry Esports Review
    • Pinnacle Esports Review
  • Guides
    • Australia Esports Betting Sites
    • Canadian Esports Betting Sites
    • Philippines Esports Betting Sites
    • USA Esports Betting Sites
    • Dogecoin Esports Betting Sites
  • Newsletter
  • About us
  • Contact

© 2021 Esports Grizzly - Your daily BITE of global esports

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.