Australia
Loot boxes potentially groom young people for gambling
New research funded by the NSW Government’s Responsible Gambling Fund, shows young adults are more likely to gamble if exposed to in-game purchases and loot boxes in video games.
Director of the Office of Responsible Gambling, Natalie Wright, said video game loot boxes are virtual games of chance that offer players a randomised reward when opened.
“Loot boxes can resemble gambling since players invest time and sometimes money in obtaining them, then receive a random reward of uncertain value such as weapons or outfits for their characters,” Ms Wright said.
“They are a growing concern because of the risk and reward elements associated with them that is similar to gambling and there are currently no age limits to play these games.”
The study by Central Queensland University (CQU), surveyed adolescents about their gaming experiences. Some of their key findings showed 62 per cent of the games they looked at offered loot boxes, and about a third of respondents had purchased a loot box in the last 12 months.
Additionally, the median monthly expenditure on loot boxes for adolescents aged 12 to 17 was $50 and $72 for young adults aged 18 to 24 years.
Overall the CQU research report found:
- Loot boxes are common in the best-selling video games – the research report looked at 82 best-selling video games and revealed 62 per cent (51) had loot boxes.
- In the survey sample, almost all of the respondents played at least one video game with loot boxes within the last 12 months (93 per cent).
- Compared to other purchasers, young adults, aged 18 to 24 years old, who had recently purchased loot boxes for the first time, were more likely to have gambling problems. However, there was no evidence that earlier experiences with loot boxes predict later gambling problems.
- Young people who had either opened, bought or sold loot boxes within the last 12 months were also more likely to have:
- gambled in the last 12 months (young adults)
- gambled more frequently (young adults)
- spent more money gambling (young adults)
- suffered more gambling problems (adolescents and young adults)
- suffered more gambling-related harm (young adults), and
- endorsed more positive attitudes towards gambling (adolescents and young adults).
To view a copy of the report, please visit the Office of Responsible Gambling website.
For those needing help with gambling issues, help is available 24/7 on 1800 858 888 or through www.gamblinghelp.nsw.gov.au.
Powered by WPeMatico
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Â
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has requested the Australian internet service providers (ISPs) to block more illegal online gambling sites, after investigations found these services to be operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
The latest sites blocked include Crown Gold, Maxispin Casino, Rain.gg, Didibet, LuckyBet, Malina Casino and Spins of Glory.
Website blocking is one of a range of enforcement options to protect Australians against illegal online gambling. Since the ACMA made its first blocking request in November 2019, 1338 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked. Around 220 illegal services have also pulled out of the Australian market since the ACMA started enforcing new illegal online gambling rules in 2017.
The post ACMA Blocks More Illegal Online Gambling Sites appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has had a robust presence in Melbourne since it opened the lab in 2007. The company and its presence in Melbourne is stronger and bigger now that GLI has moved to a new lab location in the city.
The move was necessitated by GLIâs continually growing operations, and the upgrade to a larger facility in South Melbourne physically positions GLI even closer to many of its customers. GLI also operates labs in Adelaide and Syndey.
GLIâs Melbourne lab offers a full suite of services including:
⢠iGaming and Land-based Testing
⢠Casino Management Systems (CMS) Testing
⢠Interoperability Testing
⢠Quality Assurance
⢠Compliance
âWe are excited about this next chapter as it strengthens our ability to meet our clientsâ continually evolving needs. With these expert teams working together under one roof, we are better positioned to than ever to deliver comprehensive solutions for todayâs gaming industry,â said Richard Howarth, Chief Business Officer â APAC.
The post GLI Grows Stronger and Bigger in Melbourne with New Lab Location appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Regulating the Game (RTG) has announced Evive Australia as the first innovation to take the stage at Pitch! â part of the annual RTG gathering in Sydney in March.
The event will take place at the famous Sydney Opera House on 9 March 2026, as part of the sixth edition of the international regulatory and industry conference.
Evive is an app designed to help people change how they play or seek support for gambling harms. Created by Sam DeMello, a tech specialist drawing on his lived experience of gambling harm, and supported by Jay Robinson, a safer-gambling expert with over two decades of harm-minimisation and prevention experience, Evive Australia aims to deliver personalised tools, resources and pathways for anyone seeking to reduce risk or access help.
âEvive brings together real-world experience, clinical expertise and technology to create an accessible and credible platform for change. Pitch! was conceived to spotlight exactly these kinds of innovations â ideas that challenge convention, improve safeguards and reimagine the future of regulation and industry practice,â said Paul Newson, Principal at Vanguard Overwatch and founder of Regulating the Game.
âEvive isnât just another app, itâs a bridge between lived experience, behavioral science and practical support. It shows that compliance and compassion can coexist, and when they do, everyone benefits. The app gives regulators and operators confidence in credible harm reduction tools, while giving people a safe, stigma free path to change,â Robinson said.
The post RTG Announces Evive Australia as the First Innovation to Take the Stage at Pitch! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Aquisitions/Mergers6 days agoGregorio Araneta to Sell its Entire 57% Stake in PhilWeb to Nexora Holdings and Velora Holdings
-
ArenaPlus6 days ago
DigiPlus Announces Partnership with Bayad
-
Baltics6 days ago
SEOBROTHERS ambassador Jevgenijs Aleksejevs crowned IBF Europe Middleweight boxing champion
-
Latest News6 days agoWhale.io Launches Battlepass Season 3, Featuring $77,000 in Crypto Casino Rewards
-
Angela Martin Head of Marketing UK & Ireland at GGPoker6 days ago
JOHNNY VEGAS LEADS GGPOKERâS BOLD NEW âFACE-OFFâ PROJECT TO BRING THE DRAMA, TENSION AND THRILLS BACK TO BRITISH POKER
-
Baltics6 days ago
Bombay announces strategic C-Suite appointments with a view towards regulated online growth
-
Latest News6 days ago
BC.GAME News Secures Front-of-Jersey Deal with Deccan Gladiators for Abu Dhabi T10 2025
-
Central Europe5 days ago
TaDa to Round Off Exceptional Year at SiGMA Central Europe 2025
