Video game loot boxes could be linked to problem gambling, B.C. researcher says
It’s no secret video games can be addictive, but now researchers are sounding the alarm about aspects of gaming which could be setting players up for other kinds of trouble.
Luke Clark, director at the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Gambling Research, took part in a panel on the issue at New Horizons – a conference hosted by the BC Lottery Corporation with a focus on emerging forms of gambling.
"I'm presenting new research on this link around video game loot boxes and problem gambling,” he said.
According to Clark, loot boxes first began emerging in video games about ten years ago and are now featured in nearly every popular franchise.
They are randomized prize generators that players can earn if they have accumulated enough points. and are also available for purchase in many games.
"Effectively, a kind of mystery box inside a video game. It's going to deliver a randomized prize,” Clark said. “You don't know what you're going to get. That might be a new weapon or a new character."
It’s not all that different than playing a slot machine, and in some cases gamers can take virtual items acquired from loot boxes and sell them to other players for real money.
"There's been a lot of concern about whether loot boxes are effectively a disguised form of gambling,” Clark told attendees at the conference.
He said if loot boxes in video games do constitute a form of gambling – which children have access to – there should be a conversation about whether it needs to be regulated.
"We need some attention within game design at making these platforms safer in terms of spending,” he said. “So, the ability for people to view their spending and set spending limits."
According to researchers, those most likely to be addicted to gaming share some common characteristics with potential problem gamblers.
In many cases, they tend to be younger males – a phenomenon also seen in the seemingly ubiquitous world of sports betting.
The only legal site for sports wagering in the province is BCLC’s PlayNow – but many people who participate in that kind of gambling do so through other unregulated online sites.
"We've noticed that the demographics of sports gamblers that have issues are quite different from regular gambling so we do take a look at that and we do have some people that are looking specifically at sports gambling,” said Marie-Noelle Savoie, BCLC’s vice-president of legal compliance and security.
By sharing information at conferences like New Horizons, researchers and regulators hope to stay ahead of the curve.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members today during a ceremony at British Columbia's legislature cenotaph commemorating the Second World War's Battle of the Atlantic.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
As storms moves across Texas, 1 child dies after being swept away in floodwaters
A child in Texas died Sunday after being swept away in floodwaters as storms swept across the state.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.