Report
Illegal online gambling: Consumer engagement and trends
The Gambling Commission’s report into estimated trends in consumer engagement with illegal gambling websites.
Paying for and betting with in-game items in video games
Young people were asked if they were aware of being able to pay for in-game items or ‘mods’ (for example, skins, clothes, weapons, players), pay to open loot boxes, packs or chests to open in-game items (for example, skins, clothes, weapons, or players), and/or being able to bet with in-game items on websites outside of games they are playing. These options include both gaming and gambling activities in order to explore the interaction between gaming and gambling.
A majority of young people were aware they could pay for in-game items (68 percent) and to open loot boxes, packs or chests (63 percent), with a smaller proportion having paid for it (46 percent and 27 percent respectively). Under 4 in 10 young people (37 percent) were aware they could bet with in-game items, with only 4 percent having gambled with in-game items on websites outside of the game they were playing.
Changes to the questionnaire since 2023 means that findings in this section are not comparable with previous years.
Figure 5.2: Awareness and use of in-game items
Figure 5.2 information
INGAMEAWARE: Which, if any, of these were you aware of before today?
INGAMEUSED. Which, if any, of the following have you personally done?
Base: All answering (3,869).
Note: This shows responses to 2 separate questions and so totals will not add up to 100 percent.
| Awareness and use of in-game items | Aware of (percentage) answers do not sum to 100 percent |
Aware of and have personally done (percentage) answers do not sum to 100 percent |
Aware of but have not personally done (percentage) answers do not sum to 100 percent |
Not aware (percentage) answers do not sum to 100 percent |
Do not know (percentage) answers do not sum to 100 percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paying for in-game items or mods (for example skins, clothes, weapons, players) either with money or virtual currency | 68% | 46% | 22% | 6% | 11% |
| Paying to open loot boxes, packs or chests to get in-game items (for example skins, clothes, weapons, players) either with money or virtual currency | 63% | 27% | 37% | 9% | 13% |
| Betting with in-game items on websites outside of the game you are playing | 37% | 4% | 33% | 24% | 24% |
Boys were more likely than girls to be aware that they can pay for in-game items or mods (75 percent compared to 61 percent) and to open loot boxes, packs or chests (72 percent compared to 54 percent) and also more likely to have paid for those options (57 percent compared to 35 percent and 37 percent compared to 16 percent).
Boys were also more likely than girls to be aware that they can bet with in-game items on websites outside of the games they were playing (43 percent compared to 30 percent) and were also more likely to have done so (5 percent compared to 1 percent for having done). To some extent this will reflect the fact that they are more likely to play video games.
Last updated: 7 November 2024
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