This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: New research has found parents, guardians and nongamers may struggle to recognize video game loot boxes, their defining features and the digital receipts linked to purchases. The work is published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
Loot boxes are digital containers of randomized rewards that are available in a number of online video games and often reflect traits found in conventional forms of gambling. Researchers from the University of Tasmania joined colleagues from Massey University (New Zealand) to assess whether parents and nongamers could identify video game loot boxes. "Previous research indicates that loot box purchasing is associated with risk of gambling-related harms, and we also know that warning labels are not always effective," Dr.
Aaron Drummond from the University of Tasmania's School of Psychological Sciences said. "As a result, consumers are often responsible for regulating their and their children's loot box purchasing, which requires them to be able to identify the presence and characteristics of loot boxes and loot box receipts." Study participants were tasked with identifying basic facts about loot boxes, pictures of them and receipts generated by them. Parents and nongamers, compared with nonparents and gamers, respectively, were poorer at identifying loot boxes.
The findings suggest they may have difficulty detecting unauthorized or obscured in-game spending through digital receipts. "This may expose unaware parents and new gamers to risks from gambling-like mechanisms," Drummond said. "Parents and nongamers may require support to ensure informed purchasing decisions in video games for themselves and their children." The researchers recommend targeted public education and clearer, standardized labeling in games and digital receipts to support informed purchasing and help families manage exposure to gambling-like mechanics.
Hall et al., Can consumers accurately identify loot boxes and loot box receipts?, Royal Society Open Science (2026). DOI: 10.1098/rsos.261484 Journal information: Royal Society Open Science Swati Mestri holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space.
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