Online games are blurring the line with gambling for kids 324k

Studies have shown that some of the most popular worldwide video games, like Roblox and EA Sports FC, are contributing to an increase in youth gambling.

There have been cases of minors struggling with gambling addiction as young as 12.

What more can regulators do to eradicate these issues? Should bans be implemented? We try to answer these questions below.

Unlicensed Robux Casinos 2w3i1g

It was unveiled back in December of last year that illegal online casinos had been using the popular video game Roblox to entice children into gambling online. This allowed its s, of whom 42% are aged 12 and under, to use the in-game currency, Robux, to gamble online.

There have been cases where children aged 12 to 16 have gambled as much as £175,000 on the illegal casino sites.

As a result, the Gambling Commission stepped in to investigate the situation and blocked Robux Casinos from being accessed in the UK.

Unfortunately, the damage had already been done to many minors who had been partaking in these illegal online gambling activities. There have been cases of addiction and threats of suicide.

Andrew Rhodes, Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission, has warned that criminals will target children:

“They [parents] have to that criminals are always trying to find ways to exploit children and others and be alive to that risk."

"At the end of the day, illegal casino operators are criminals.”

Issues with online gaming 71106b

It is not just Roblox that has facilitated a gambling culture amongst youths. Other games, such as EA Sports FC (formerly under the FIFA branding) and Fortnite, have fostered a gambling culture in children.

Research has demonstrated that there is, in fact, a link between the loot box purchases in the EA Sports game and gambling, and that children were more susceptible to these gambling-like mechanics in the game. EA Sports was also found to have actively encouraged these types of purchases.

These games allow s to purchase in-game items to enhance their gameplay. Although not officially labelled as gambling, the process works similarly to sweepstakes casinos, where you can purchase virtual currencies and loot boxes.

Using EA Sports FC as an example, the purchase does not guarantee an outcome, and there is an element of chance. As such, gamers will “gamble” real money to improve the quality of their club.

What measures have been taken so far? 1c4715

There have been calls for regulators to officially identify loot box purchases in video games as forms of gambling. Countries such as Belgium have banned these types of games due to the usage of loot boxes, which they consider gambling.

The Gambling Commission have been working hard on cracking down on illegal online casinos. A spokesperson has stated that:

“Illegal gambling is serious and clearly we’re concerned. We have been very active in this space in recent times. In the last seven months (since April) we’ve had more than 75,000 urls removed by search engines, and more than 250 websites taken down.”

What’s next — and how can kids be protected? 353ak

While the Gambling Commission has already been taking action to remove illegal online casinos, many criminals behind these sites can change domains.

Member of Parliament Sir Iain Duncan Smith believes more needs to be done to stop these illegal gambling sites:

"What you have to do is take them out of the game, so they can't just move domains."

"There needs to be greater powers to seek these people out, arrest them and put them inside."

Many have called for in-game purchases to be banned regarding real money gaming. However, these purchases have become sizeable revenue streams for gaming companies.

More and education are needed to warn youths about the dangers of loot boxes when playing video games.