ArticlePloS one2022
What's in the box? Exploring UK players' experiences of loot boxes in games; the conceptualisation and parallels with gambling.
Article in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Classification-Behavior Discordance and Problem Gambling: Differential Patterns for Fantasy Sports and Loot Boxes Among College Students.Journal of gambling studies · 2026Article
- Psychological mechanisms in video game monetization: A typology of contemporary strategies beyond loot boxes.Journal of behavioral addictions · 2026Review
- Better than industry self-regulation: Compliance of mobile games with newly adopted and actively enforced loot box probability disclosure law in South Korea.Acta psychologica · 2025Article
- The Role of Videogame Micro-Transactions in the Relationship Between Motivations, Problem Gaming, and Problem Gambling.Journal of gambling studies · 2025Article
- Associations between Marketing Exposure, In-game Purchases, Problem Gaming, Simulated Gambling, and Psychological Distress among Adolescents.Journal of gambling studies · 2025Article
- What Constitutes 'Gaming' in the Gaming Disorder?: Observations and Recommendations.Indian journal of psychological medicine · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Loot boxes are a popular mechanic within many video games, but it remains unclear if some forms of loot boxes can be seen of as gambling. However, the perspectives of players are often neglected, such as whether they see them as 'fair' game elements and how closely they feel this aligns with gambling. In this paper, we synthesise a conceptualisation for loot boxes through players' actual experience and explore if there are any parallels with gambling. Twenty-one participants who played video games took part in the research through either an interview or online survey. Thematic analysis suggested that six themes were core to exploring loot boxes: Random Chance Effects, Attitudes Towards Content, Implementation, Parallels with Gambling, Game Design, and The Player. The results suggested both indirect and direct parallels with gambling from the players experiences. Implications of game design and classifying loot boxes as gambling are discussed in relation to game design and risk factors of gambling and purchasing behaviour.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.