What is the psychology behind loot boxes?

Using a sample of 1049 participants from New Zealand, Australia and the United States, Drummond et al. [11] showed that loot box purchase behaviours were weakly associated with both positive and negative shifts in mood, as well as with higher levels of psychological distress.

Why do people use loot boxes?

Loot boxes aim to provide balance to games. By providing content at random, they allow players to unlock the best items even if they don't spend the most money. Loot boxes can also reveal in-game items that players hadn't considered using - helping them change tactics or strategies in the process.

What are the effects of loot boxes?

In-game purchases such as loot boxes cause financial and emotional harm to children and young people. Children find it difficult to track their spending in-games and fail to understand the value of money, leading to poor spending decisions. Digital items are highly desirable and collectible, driving repeat buying.

Do Lootboxes encourage gambling?

These included harms relating to gambling. Empirical studies had found a “stable and consistent association between loot box use and problem gambling”. The evidence also suggested a range of other “potential mental health, financial and problem gaming-related harms”.

What are the statistics about Lootboxes?

Only six studies included adolescents. The annual prevalence rate of loot box purchases was higher for adult gamers than for adolescents (22.7%–44.2% and 20%–33.9%, respectively), but in studies with general population samples, the opposite was true (24.9% for players aged 13–14 versus 7.8% for adults).

The Psychology of Loot Box Addiction

Are loot boxes structurally and psychologically akin to gambling?

Dr James Close, senior research fellow at the University of Plymouth and co-author of the report, commented: "Our work has established that engagement with loot boxes is associated with problem gambling behaviours, with players encouraged to purchase through psychological techniques such as 'fear of missing out'.

How addictive are loot boxes?

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners Joint Addictions and Substance Misuse Lead said that certain in app gaming features known as 'loot boxes' could instill unhealthy behaviours and pre-expose children and young people to developing addictive gambling-like tendencies later in life.

Why do gamblers rarely win?

Each game you play at a casino has a statistical probability against you winning, which makes gambling an inadequate option for those looking to boost their income. While the house advantage varies for each game, it ultimately helps ensure that the casino won't lose money over time.

Are Lootboxes unethical?

Random rewards (both cosmetic and functional) such as loot boxes are ethically problematic, particularly if the player does not know how likely the possible rewards are. In this case, it is essentially impossible for the player to evaluate whether the purchase is worth it.

Are loot boxes just gaming or gambling?

In almost all senses of the word, loot boxes are a form of online gambling. Their addictive nature and just-one-more effect entice gamers into spending their hard-earned money, in-game or otherwise, on an item that may or may not contain something of value.

Why are loot boxes predatory?

Some of these in-game purchasing schemes might be viewed as predatory because they disguise or withhold the true long-term cost of the activity until players are already financially and psychologically committed 65 .

What are the cons of loot boxes?

Mounting research, such as that done by the universities of Plymouth and Wolverhampton, indicates that loot boxes are linked to problem gambling, and are “structurally and psychologically akin to gambling.” Of 13 studies into the behavior of gamers who spend on loot boxes, 12 showed a clear correlation between the use ...

Which country banned loot boxes?

As of today, the only European jurisdiction where loot boxes are explicitly banned is Belgium, where the Gambling Commission declared loot boxes to be "in violation of gambling legislation" back in 2018, although a recent study showed that the Belgian regulator is struggling with enforcing the ban.

Who started the loot box trend?

Researchers trace the first loot boxes back to the Chinese free-to-play MMO ZT Online, released in 2006, where players opened virtual treasure chests. This formula mutated through various mobile games until it reached core franchises: in 2010, Valve incorporated them in Team Fortress 2.

Did China ban Lootboxes?

Loot Box Restrictions

Chinese law is particularly strict and detailed on loot boxes, as they are seen as a form of gambling: Loot boxes cannot be purchased using either real or virtual currency. Loot box contents must also be acquirable through other means. Compulsion loops are not allowed.

What is the controversy of Lootboxes?

Loot boxes have been controversial in the gaming industry in recent years, with critics charging that the in-game purchases can amount to gambling and tempt kids into overspending.

How do you stop loot boxes?

Do gamblers have high IQ?

Men with higher numerical IQs were shown to be more likely to partake in skill-based gambling, such as horse racing, choose more complicated betting options, and spend more money, according to a study published in the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making.

Do gamblers feel guilty?

Quite often, a person who is struggling with their gambling may feel like they have little or no control. They may be experiencing shame, guilt and remorse, and may also feel an added sense of guilt because of how their behaviour might be impacting others.

What is the personality of a gambler?

Certain personality characteristics.

Being highly competitive, a workaholic, impulsive, restless or easily bored may increase your risk of compulsive gambling.

Why aren t loot boxes illegal?

Since they employ chance-based mechanics and players can sometimes pay to unlock them, loot boxes draw comparisons to gambling. But generally, loot boxes do not fall into most legal definitions of gambling, because the “prize” – the virtual items within — cannot be said to be “something of value.”

Why are loot boxes not illegal?

Are Loot Boxes Legal? Today, with a few exceptions, most forms of loot boxes remain legal and unregulated worldwide. However, proponents of loot box regulation argue that the chance and rarity mechanics make loot boxes akin to gambling and constitute predatory practices toward minors.

Is gambling a form of escapism?

Escape gamblers gamble as a form of coping and as an escape from physical or emotional pain, including stress, depression, anxiety, loneliness, or boredom. These types of gamblers typically play “luck” games which involve very little decision-making, such as the slot, lottery, or Keno machines.

What is the theory of gamblers ruin?

The gambler's ruin is a concept in statistics. It is most commonly expressed as follows: A gambler playing a game with negative expected value will eventually go broke, regardless of their betting system.

How does gambling relate to psychology?

PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS

Psychological disorders and conditions, in addition to coping styles, social learning and beliefs, could make someone more susceptible to harmful gambling. Individuals with gambling problems may also suffer from substance abuse and mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety.