Video game players at home are spending considerable amounts on "loot boxes," according to health service officials in the UK.
The coronavirus lockdown, leaving many with more time on their hands, has led to players buying features in the hope of unlocking random items in the game. Now the UK government is investigating whether the games that feature loot boxes are actually gambling.
It was the UK’s National Health Service’s gambling section that drew attention to it, saying that loot boxes were causing welfare problems. It is citing young people as those most at risk.
Said Matthew Gaskell, clinical lead for the NHS Northern Gambling Service: “It is a relatively new area of research but the cases that are coming forward are really stark.
"There is much discussion around the blurring of the lines between gaming and gambling. The protection is not there when we would want it to be so it is likely we will see more and more problems until they are addressed by legislators.”
