ArticleRoyal Society open science2022
Loot box spending is associated with problem gambling but not mental wellbeing.
Article in Royal Society open science, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
What it found
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Unpacking non-transparency: Most physical trading card game and collectible sports card packs failed to disclose probabilities for winning rare prizes.Journal of behavioral addictions · 2026Article
- When Gaming Becomes Like Gambling: The Role of Flow, Immersion, Craving, and Self-control in Risky Loot Box use among Polish gamers.Journal of gambling studies · 2026Article
- Sex differences, perceived stress, gaming motives, and gambling-like attitudes toward loot-boxes predict risky loot box use among Polish gamers.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Legal and regulatory responses to online gambling harms: a scoping review of evidence.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- 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
- Loot box spending is associated with greater distress when normalized to disposable income: a reanalysis and extension of EtchellsRoyal Society open science · 2025Article
- A longitudinal replication study testing migration from video game loot boxes to gambling in British Columbia, Canada.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Normalization of Chance-Based Mechanisms in Mobile Games for Children: A Descriptive Analysis.Journal of gambling studies · 2024Article
- The associations between autistic characteristics and microtransaction spending.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Exploring the relationships between psychological variables and loot box engagement, part 2: exploratory analyses of complex relationships.Royal Society open science · 2024Article
- Loot box purchasing and indebtedness: The role of psychosocial factors and problem gambling.Addictive behaviors reports · 2023Article
- Loot box spending is associated with problem gambling but not mental wellbeing.Royal Society open science · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
There are emerging concerns that loot boxes-digital video game items that can be purchased for a chance at randomized rewards-are associated with problematic gambling behaviours and, in turn, are potentially harmful. Current research suggests consistent correlations between loot box spending (LS) and problematic gambling symptomology; however, little research has looked at relationships with mental wellbeing. Here, we used a Bayesian hypothesis testing framework to assess the relative strength of evidence for relationships between LS, excessive gaming, problem gambling, mental wellbeing and psychological distress. Two thousand seven hundred twenty-eight participants who reported playing games containing loot box mechanics in the past month answered a survey assessing the above measures, as well as other forms of digital spending. The results showed extremely strong evidence for a positive correlation between LS and problem gambling; however, there was no evidence to suggest relationships between such spending and mental wellbeing or psychological distress. Exploratory results suggested that individuals who spend money on loot boxes also spend more across a range of digital purchases generally. The findings highlight an urgent need to understand what constitutes harm when considering LS effects and provide further context for discussions regarding how best to regulate such mechanisms.
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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.