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Video Game Loot Boxes to Generate over $20 Billion in Revenue by 2025, but Tightening Legislation Will Slow Growth

Published

5 years ago

March 10, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

A new report from Juniper Research has found that revenue generated from loot boxes used in video games will exceed $20 billion by 2025, up from an estimated $15 billion in 2020. However, growth, averaging 5% per year, will be slower than previous years, as consumers become fatigued with loot boxes and legislative constraints limiting the market.

Loot Boxes Legislative Scrutiny Increasing

The report, In-game Gambling & Loot Boxes: Legislation, Market Evolution & Forecasts 2021-2025 Report, expects more than 230 million gamers will buy loot boxes in 2025. Mobile gamers will make up the majority of these, as alternative forms of in-game monetisation, like battle passes and downloadable content packs, are less common in mobile gaming. Overall, we expect approximately 5% of gamers will buy loot boxes that year.

Juniper Research notes that legislation restricting loot boxes, by either classifying them as a form of gambling or banning them outright, will become more prevalent, particularly in Europe. This is leading several publishers to develop new ways of using loot boxes, ranging from ‘transparent’ loot boxes to changing how they are purchased, in order to bypass legislation.

‘Loot boxes in their traditional form are often considered exploitative; leading to increased legislative scrutiny,’ remarked research co-author Nick Hunt. ‘We expect to see game publishers react to this in future by changing loot box formats, in order to keep them compelling and outside the legal realms of gambling.’

Skins Gambling an Ongoing Feature

The report also found that skins gambling, where in-game items are wagered on games of chance or the outcome of eSports matches, will have total wagers worth $321 million in 2025; $100 million more than in 2020, but down from a market high in 2016, due largely to the majority of skins gambling sites being blocked in many countries. Juniper Research expects that gambling will continue until trading platforms prohibit these practices outright, rather than merely limiting them.

Whitepaper download: https://www.juniperresearch.com/document-library/white-papers/loot-boxes-levelling-up-for-new-legislation

Alona Shevtsova

Sends CEO Alona Shevtsova moderates Global Gaming Expansion panel in Riyadh

Published

3 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

sends-ceo-alona-shevtsova-moderates-global-gaming-expansion-panel-in-riyadh

Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, will moderate a panel at The Blockchain show on 29^th June, bringing together experts from entertainment, location-based gaming, and content localisation to examine what it takes to build sustainable gaming ecosystems across emerging markets.

The panel, titled “Global Gaming Expansion: Lessons from Untapped Markets,” will structure its discussion across four themes: the growth dynamics reshaping emerging gaming markets; the role of localisation in creating experiences that genuinely connect with new audiences; the infrastructure and communities needed to build gaming ecosystems beyond the game itself; and the lessons and opportunities that will define successful expansion in the years ahead.

Alona Shevtsova plans to frame the discussion around the central challenge for companies looking to expand globally: entering a new market requires far more than bringing an existing product to a new audience. Understanding local cultures, building communities, adapting experiences, and creating ecosystems that allow gaming to grow sustainably are all as important as the product itself.

Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, said:

“The future growth of gaming will come not only from new technologies, but from understanding people — their cultures, communities, and the experiences they want to be part of. Successful expansion will belong to those who can combine global ambition with local understanding.”

The first segment will examine why regions including the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia are becoming increasingly significant for developers, operators, and investors — driven by young audiences, accelerating digital adoption, and new entertainment models creating substantial growth potential. Panellists will explore how consumer preferences differ across markets and what trends among younger audiences are shaping the future of gaming and entertainment.

The third segment will broaden the lens beyond the game itself, exploring the role of location-based entertainment, gaming centres, esports, and experiential destinations in attracting new audiences and building long-term communities. Panellists plan to address how entertainment ecosystems — spanning physical venues, events, and community infrastructure — accelerate gaming adoption in markets where the category is still establishing itself.

Earlier this month, Alona Shevtsova was shortlisted for the 2026 Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the Established Business of the Year category. Her team is also preparing for the Fintech Connect conference in London later this year. Sends will be a leading sponsor of this event.

*Sends is a trade name of SMARTFLOW PAYMENTS LIMITED, registered in England and Wales (Company No.11070048). For more information, visit sends.co .

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