Random Chance Purchases Are More Addictive Than Gambling
Loot Boxes Are Grooming the Next Generation of Gambling Addicts. 43% of Youth Show Signs of Addiction to In-Game Purchases.
Buying a loot box in a game may seem harmless. But for thousands of young people, it’s the gateway to a bigger problem. The mechanics behind Random Chance Purchases encourage compulsive spending and even deception toward friends and family. What’s worse, their risk of addiction is several times higher than that of young gamblers! A new study sheds light on an issue that has remained in the shadows of public debate. These data completely change how we should view online gaming!
Gambling or Gaming? What Really Hooks Young People?
Before diving into the data, it’s crucial to define what we mean by Random Chance Purchases. This term refers to various in-game transactions where players spend real or virtual currency to receive a randomized item or reward. These purchases include:
- Loot Boxes – digital containers with unknown rewards, often requiring real money to open.
- Wheel Spins – spin-to-win mechanics where players pay to spin a virtual wheel with randomized prizes.
- Card Packs – collectible packs of in-game items or characters, frequently found in sports or card-based games.
- Random Upgrades & Power-Ups – enhancements for in-game characters or abilities that are assigned unpredictably upon purchase.
These mechanics mimic traditional gambling by incorporating chance-based rewards, reinforcing compulsive spending behaviors, and exploiting psychological triggers that make players spend more in pursuit of elusive high-value items. With this in mind, let’s examine just how much risk these mechanics pose to young people.
The Hidden Addiction: Why Random Chance Purchases Pose a Greater Risk Than Gambling
The Young People and Gambling 2024 report assessed youth gambling risk using an established research framework designed for identifying gambling-related behavioral patterns. This framework evaluates individuals who may exhibit problematic behaviors, such as difficulty controlling spending, deception toward family, or using gambling as an emotional escape. According to the report, only 1.5% of young people fell into the highest risk category for gambling-related harm.
Among those who had made at least one Random Chance Purchase, this percentage soared to 15%, nearly ten times higher than in traditional gambling.
The real shock comes when we compare those who have actually engaged in Random Chance Purchases versus traditional gambling:
- 87% of young gamblers fall into the low-risk category, meaning they show no signs of problem gambling.
- For those making Random Chance Purchases, the situation is dramatically different – only 30% fall into this safe category.
- Alarmingly, over 43% of young people who engage in Random Chance Purchases fall into the high-risk addiction category.
This means their behaviors show clear signs of addiction, such as difficulty controlling spending, compulsive purchases, and negative impacts on daily life. These figures completely challenge our understanding of the dangers of online gaming.
A New Perspective on Risk – How Serious Is the Problem?
The study clearly shows that Random Chance Purchases in games can lead to problematic behaviors on a much larger scale than traditional gambling. Due to the high percentage of individuals in the high-risk addiction category (43%), a more detailed breakdown was necessary to fully capture the extent of the issue.
To better illustrate the level of risk, additional thresholds were established to define the severity of addiction potential among young players:
- 4-5 points – High risk of addiction (51% of those in the high-risk group).
- 6-7 points – Very high risk of addiction (41% of those in the high-risk group).
- 8-10 points – Extremely high risk of addiction (8% of those in the high-risk group).
What does this mean? This is not just about a few individuals who have occasionally fallen into the trap of Random Chance Purchases. Nearly half (49%) of those at risk fall into the upper categories of addiction risk. These are individuals who struggle to control their spending, feel compelled to make additional purchases, and experience negative consequences as a result of their behavior.
How do these findings compare to gambling? A comparison with data from the Gambling Commission’s Young People and Gambling 2024 report reveals drastic differences:
| Addiction Risk Level | Gambling | Random Chance Purchases |
|---|---|---|
| Low risk (0-1 points) | 87% | 30% |
| Moderate risk (2-3 points) | 7% | 27% |
| High risk (4+ points) | 6% | 43% |
📌 The results show that only 6% of young gamblers exhibit a high risk of addiction, whereas among those engaging in Random Chance Purchases, this figure skyrockets to 43%!
The scale of the problem suggests that the mechanics of Random Chance Purchases in games may be even more addictive than traditional gambling. Why then are they still not being taken as seriously?
Random Chance Purchases Lead to More Social Problems Than Gambling
Random Chance Purchases aren’t just an issue of spending money – they’re changing young people’s behaviors. Research shows that these mechanics can lead to even worse consequences than traditional gambling.
In the Young People and Gambling 2024 study, only 4% of respondents admitted that their gambling had led them to lie to their family, friends, or others.
In contrast, in the study on Random Chance Purchases, a staggering 43% of young people admitted that they had lied to their family, friends, or others because of their in-game purchases.
How Far Do the Consequences Go? Random Chance Purchases More Often Lead to Deception and Family Conflicts
| Category | Gambling | Random Chance Purchases |
|---|---|---|
| Lying to family, friends, or others | 4% | 43% |
| Family arguments | 3% | 19% |
| Skipping school | 3% | 16% |
📌 What do these numbers mean?
- More than 10 times as many young people lied to their family, friends, or others because of their Random Chance Purchases compared to gambling.
- Random Chance Purchases led to family arguments more than 6 times as often as gambling.
- Young people were 5 times more likely to skip school due to in-game purchases than due to gambling.
Such stark differences suggest that online games pose a much greater threat to young people than previously believed.
Why Is This Problem Being Overlooked?
1️⃣ Random Chance Purchases Are Not Officially Classified as Gambling
Despite their gambling-like mechanics, many regulatory systems do not categorize loot boxes as gambling.
This means young people have unrestricted access to them, even if they exhibit identical addictive behaviors to gambling.
2️⃣ Lack of Public Awareness
- When parents hear “gambling,” they think of casinos, betting, or slot machines.
- When a child says, “I bought a loot box,” it does not raise the same alarm, even though the psychological mechanisms are nearly identical.
3️⃣ No Age Restrictions or Control Measures
- Online gambling often requires age verification, and betting is strictly regulated.
- Random Chance Purchases in games are accessible instantly, often using gift cards or virtual currency, making them much harder for parents to monitor.
What’s Next? Do We Need Regulations?
The research clearly shows that Random Chance Purchases in games are a modern form of gambling for young people. The risk of addiction is over seven times higher than in traditional forms of gambling.
Should these purchases be regulated?
- Introduce age restrictions on Random Chance Purchases – just like gambling.
- Require transparent disclosure of the actual odds of winning valuable items.
- Implement spending controls and age verification to prevent uncontrolled spending.
Conclusion
🔴 Random Chance Purchases in games carry a much higher risk of addiction than traditional gambling – nearly eight times higher! While only 6% of young gamblers fall into the high-risk category, for in-game purchases, this figure rises to 43%.
🔴 43% of young people making Random Chance Purchases fall into the high-risk category. Among them:
- 51% fall into the high-risk category,
- 41% show very high risk,
- 8% reached the extremely high level of addiction risk.
🔴 Over 43% of respondents admitted to lying to their family, friends, or others because of their Random Chance Purchases, compared to only 4% for gambling.
🔴 Current regulations do not protect young people from addiction mechanics hidden in games. Unlike casinos and betting platforms, loot boxes and other Random Chance Purchases remain uncontrolled, giving young players nearly unlimited access to gambling-like systems.
The data is clear: Random Chance Purchases are fueling an addiction crisis among young players. If regulators, parents, and the gaming industry fail to act now, we risk raising a generation trapped in digital gambling disguised as entertainment.
Methodology – Random Chance Purchases Survey 2024 (RCPS)
To ensure the reliability and scientific validity of the presented results, this study was developed and conducted as part of iGamingNuts’ research efforts. The study followed recognized methodological standards to provide new insights into the behavioral and social risks associated with Random Chance Purchases in online games.
Objective and Scope of the Study
The primary goal of this study was to explore the phenomenon of Random Chance Purchases in online games among young people. The inspiration for this research came from the Young People and Gambling 2024: Official Statistics report published by the Gambling Commission. This internally developed study aimed to compare results obtained using a novel reformulation of the questionnaire traditionally used in youth gambling research with the data collected in the Young People and Gambling 2024 report.
The specific objectives of the study include:
- A comparative analysis of the findings from the Random Chance Purchases Survey 2024 (RCPS) in assessing the addiction potential among young people engaging in Random Chance Purchases, utilizing an adapted risk assessment framework originally developed for youth gambling research. The adaptation was implemented strictly for research and educational purposes and does not constitute a clinical diagnostic tool.
- Determining the similarities and key differences between Random Chance Purchases in online games and traditional gambling among young people.
- A preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of current legal and technical regulations in restricting underage access to Random Chance Purchases.
- A broader scientific exploration of Random Chance Purchases as a significant risk factor for potential addiction among young people under 18 years old.
Definition and Conceptual Scope
In this study, we used the term Random Chance Purchases, which encompasses various forms of chance-based mechanics in video games. These include:
- Loot boxes – digital containers with unknown rewards, often requiring real money to open.
- Wheel spins – spin-to-win mechanics where players pay to spin a virtual wheel with randomized prizes.
- Card packs – collectible packs of in-game items or characters, frequently found in sports or card-based games.
- Random upgrades and power-ups – enhancements for in-game characters or abilities that are assigned unpredictably upon purchase.
Research Methodology
Study Implementation
- The study was conducted using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing) method on a sample of 400 respondents aged 13 to 17 years residing in the United Kingdom.
- The research was conducted between November 20, 2024, and December 12, 2024, as part of iGamingNuts’ internal research initiatives.
- Due to the exploratory nature of the research, the statistical margin of error for N=400 is ±4.9% at a 95% confidence level.
Study Execution
- The survey was carried out by an external online survey provider specializing in web-based research.
- The study was fully conceptualized, designed, and analyzed within iGamingNuts, ensuring methodological consistency and alignment with industry research standards.
- The external panel provider ensured compliance with legal and ethical standards, including:
- GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).
- Obtaining parental consent for respondents under the age of 16.
- Ensuring data protection and participant anonymity.
Study Type and Sample Characteristics
- The sample size of 400 respondents allows for the identification of general trends in youth behaviors related to Random Chance Purchases in online games.
- While exploratory in nature, the findings provide a foundation for further research and discussions on potential regulatory considerations.