Predatory monetization schemes in video games (e.g. ‘loot boxes’) and internet gaming disorder

King, Daniel L.; Delfabbro, Paul

doi:10.1111/add.14286

Cited by 168 publications

(145 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Such work is urgently needed. In a recent editorial to Addiction [ 23 ], King and Delfabbro called on the community to immediately begin work that investigates whether there are any links between loot box use and gaming-related harm. These concerns about the effects of loot boxes on gamers are echoed by policymakers, with the Australian Senate recently authorising a committee enquiry into the extent to which loot boxes may be harmful to their players [ 24 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

2018

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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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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

2018

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“…In this scenario, concerns about monetisation mechanisms in games may be unfounded, with control difficulties reflecting individual difference variables rather than game or reward system design elements. Second, the results may represent an intensification of the predatory monetization structures in games described by King and Delfabbro [26], and indicate that as randomized rewards and other monetization structures within games become increasingly entwined, players with higher problematic gambling symptomology find it harder to control purchasing for all reward types. Third, the effects may be a false positive result.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 92%

The relationship between problem gambling, excessive gaming, psychological distress and spending on loot boxes in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, and the United States—A cross-national survey

et al. 2020

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Loot boxes are digital containers of randomised rewards available in many video games. Due to similarities between some loot boxes and traditional forms of gambling, concerns regarding the relationship between spending on loot boxes in video games and symptoms of problematic gambling have been expressed by policy makers and the general public. We present the first investigation of these concerns in large cross-sectional cross-national samples from three countries (Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, and the United States). A sample of 1,049 participants were recruited through Qualtrics' Survey Targeting service from a broad cross-section of the population in Australia (n = 339), Aotearoa New Zealand (n = 323), and the United States (n = 387). Participants answered a survey assessing problem gambling, problem gaming symptomology, and how much they spent on loot boxes per month. On average, individuals with problem gambling issues spent approximately $13 USD per month more on loot boxes than those with no such symptoms. Loot box spending was also associated with both positive and negative moods, albeit with small effect sizes. Analyses showed both interactions and correlations between problematic gambling and problematic gaming symptoms, indicating both some commonality in the mechanisms underlying, and independent contributions made by, these proposed diagnostic criteria. These results provide context for dialogues regarding how best to reduce the impacts of loot box spending among those with problematic gambling symptoms.

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“…King and Delfabbro's 'predatory monetization' definition has been focused on the financial harm of potentially abusive psychological manipulations since the term's original inception (see King and Delfabbro 2018).…”

Section: Predatory Addiction-inducing Time-consumption?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards an Ethical Game Design Solution to Loot Boxes: a Commentary on King and Delfabbro

Xiao

Henderson

2019

Int J Ment Health Addiction

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King and Delfabbro (2019b) proposed the adoption of social responsibility measures to combat predatory monetisation in video games, such as loot boxes. This paper rectifies a game example mistakenly used by King and Delfabbro and provides further game examples to illustrate, critique and extend the proposed measures. This paper argues that the proposed measures are unlikely to be widely adopted by the video game industry, given the industry's economic interests in the continued unhindered implementation of predatory monetisation, their preference for continued 'self-regulation' and their past resistance against potential regulation. With reference to South Korean law, this paper explores the possibility of codifying and enforcing the proposed measures as law and argues that overly paternalistic regulations are insensible and impractical. This paper recommends the use of regulatory nudging to encourage video game companies through incentives, such as discretionary grants and tax relief schemes, to adopt the proposed social responsibility measures and develop towards an ethical game design framework.

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Predatory monetization schemes in video games (e.g. ‘loot boxes’) and internet gaming disorder

Cited by 168 publications

References 11 publications

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

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

The relationship between problem gambling, excessive gaming, psychological distress and spending on loot boxes in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, and the United States—A cross-national survey

Towards an Ethical Game Design Solution to Loot Boxes: a Commentary on King and Delfabbro

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