A study of gamers of college age and based in North America found that the majority of gamers know of or have used a loot box. Most of those who were surveyed for the study also agreed that loot boxes are a form of gambling, contrary to the statements made by firms like the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) and other games industry bodies. 90% of players have opened at least one loot boxes and more than half said that they had spent money on loot boxes.

The researchers also had the gamers complete surveys connected to gambling research to measure their gambling behavior. The researchers found a link, confirming that there was a correlation between gambling addiction and video game loot boxes. Gambling variables predicted 37.1% of the variance for “risky” loot box use, said the researchers.

From the data, the researchers made the conclusion that loot boxes are a type of gambling in games. However, the team from the University of British Columbia stopped short of saying that video game loot boxes caused gambling addiction. It could be that those susceptible to gambling addiction are more drawn to video game loot boxes or that loot boxes cause gambling addictions. More research would likely be needed before making a conclusion.

PhD student Gabriel Brooks also suggested that more research is needed into the effects of video game loot boxes on younger gamers. This study was only about adult gamers, said Brooks, but “studying youth exposure to loot box mechanisms would be a logical next step.” Many laws proposed to ban loot boxes in games have targeted children and those below the legal gambling age, and such research could potentially lead to similar bans around the world.

It’s unclear whether the video game industry may take action in response to the study and others that follow it. Some publishers have removed video game loot boxes from their games (such as EA with its FIFA Ultimate Team card packs) but this has been because of legislation, not research.

EA also changed Star Wars Battlefront 2’s loot boxes but this was because of pay to win criticisms, not just about gambling. However, if more studies like this are published, publishers and developers who have supported randomized loot box drops may have to change their stance.

Source: ScienceDirect (via Silicon Republic)