Loot boxes are in-game rewards provided randomly to players. Sweden has linked them to problem gambling in its younger citizens. But just how big is the problem?
Known as the Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gambling Regulator has recently released a study on the impact of loot boxes on young gamers. It suggests there is a link between them and the development of problem gambling habits in later life. The report also highlights a rise in underage gambling figures.
Understanding the Loot Box Link
Loot boxes, also known as lootcrates, are an in-game commodity. They provide bonuses and digital items for gamers who stumble across them. For example, they may contain extra tokens, lives, or, more often than not, skins. Skins can alter the appearance of avatars and items such as weapons. Crucially, they have different levels of rarity and can command high sums. As lootboxes can be found in games or purchased, the random lottery-style nature of them has long been likened to a form of gambling.
Online gambling in Sweden is highly regulated. Not only does the government enforce strict rules and licensing requirements, but independent platforms also rank and review operators to ensure players choose only safe options. That’s why resources like bedrageri.info, which focuses exclusively on licensed casinos, have become essential. By covering everything from payment methods to game selections, they add a second layer of transparency and fair play, guiding consumers toward reputable sites and helping keep out underage players.
The survey found that some people purchased loot boxes as young as 12. Around 45% of the gamers said they had bought a loot box at some point, and of these, 62% were under the age of 18 when they did so. It was particularly high in school-age males, with those exhibiting risky behaviour rising. One respondent even likened the thrill of opening a loot box to that of gambling on blackjack.
Among the respondents in the survey, of those who purchased a loot box for the first time under the age of 18, 62% later gambled online for money while still a minor. In others aged between 18 and 24 who had purchased a loot box before the age of 15, 87% showed signs of risky gambling behaviors as adults. Many lootbox purchasers who had not gambled under age planned to do so when they reached legal age.
Skin gambling, in which the aforementioned game skins can be staked and used as collateral or funds for betting, also came up. Around 57% of people doing this said they gambled more than they could afford.
Loot Box Measures Across Europe
There are several social implications for this. Aside from the ones listed above, many players use their parents’ credit cards to buy loot boxes. This prevents minors from fully understanding the financial implications of gambling, as it is money that essentially comes from nowhere.
Loot box regulation changes drastically across Europe. Some countries have no laws at all, while others have taken moves to limit the damage. Belgium is one country that has taken on some of the biggest gaming giants regarding lootboxes. Specifically, it targeted EA Games upon the release of Star Wars Battlefront II. A title that was almost unplayable unless in-game purchases and lootboxes were made, they believed the game fell under Belgium’s gambling law, with a ban on loot boxes soon to follow.
The United Kingdom is one country that has turned to regulation as opposed to an outright ban. The government suggests that the purchase of loot boxes must be enabled in-game by parents and that spending controls must be in place to prevent safer gaming.
The result of this was more transparency from the industry. Developers began to disclose how many loot crates fell in the game, known as a drop rate. This lets people know the probability of getting them, much like return-to-player ratings have been used in gambling games. It also improved refund policies.
EU Probe Into Star Stable
It is not the first time Sweden and loot boxes have made headlines in the past few months. On the surface, Star Stable Online may seem like any other children’s game. It is a pink, glittery affair that involves rearing digital horses and racing them. Yet its Swedish developers, Star Stable Entertainment AB, have faced a probe from the European Union’s Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC) through the European Commission.
It comes after complaints made against it by the Swedish Consumers’ Association. This relates to some of its commercial practices aimed at children. These include limited time offers, which put pressure on to purchase, along with direct appeals to children to buy, or have adults buy, in-game elements for them. There are also issues with influencers who have promoted the game without disclosing any commercial aspects.
Much of this tends to relate to the in-game currency, known as ‘Star Coins’. These must be purchased, and confer advantages to players who have bought them. It is a tactic known as ‘pay to play’ and is very similar to loot box usage, with actions taken against it in various EU states.
Loot crates are a good way to enhance a game. By no means should it be at the expense of that game itself, nor at people’s health, either financial or mental. Sweden will, no doubt, now tighten its laws or opt for a complete ban.