Are video game loot boxes more addictive than casinos?

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Loot boxes are a new way of keeping people engaged in video games. They are similar to gambling. Belgium and Netherlands have banned them. They can cause addiction. It is not a good idea to use them for children. The problem is that they are not meant for adults. If a game like hot drop jackpots can change a false sense of winning into a sense to win, loot boxes can do the same.

Loot boxes are virtual goods that contain in-game items and rewards for players to enjoy. The process of loot boxes requires players purchase them with virtual currency or earn loot box through the gameplay. Loot boxes come in different rarity levels and range from basic items to rare and even legendary ones.

Loot boxes were introduced to games in the late 2000s as a form of monetization of free-to-play games. Star Wars: Battlefront was one of the first full-price triple-A games to include loot boxes that can be purchased with real money. Nowadays, every game, whether it's free to play or comes at a full price has loot box as an incentive system.

Loot boxes are similar to slot machines and other casino games. They can be addictive because they give you in-game advantages. 20% of 1000 casual gamers opened loot boxes at some time during their gameplay. The problem with the gaming industry is that it forces regular players to get involved in the process of gambling. There is no way to find out what are your chances of getting a legendary or rare item in some games, so you can spend thousands of dollars and not get the expected return. Game developers need to make the loot system more transparent. If they want to use loot systems as a monetization tool, they need some rules on how they can use them.