Research carried out in the UK last year found that loot boxes “are structurally and psychologically akin to gambling”. But as you progress further in a game, they start to feel less optional as players who do buy the extra items gain a competitive advantage. They’re fairly common to free-to-play games and there’s a bunch of optional in-game purchases. Named after cute capsule toy vending machines in Japan called ‘gachapon’, gacha games and loot boxes capitalise on the excitement of opening a little present and not knowing what’s inside.

Games that are based around this loot box system are also known as gacha games, which have become wildly popular in recent years. Known as loot boxes, players can earn or buy sealed containers that have different items or rewards. As you get to higher levels, it starts to feel like you have to pay or you’ll be at a disadvantage.Īnd to add more fuel to the fire, there’s also microtransactions that add an element of luck. The ones that affect how you play tend to stoke up controversy. Sometimes they can be cosmetic upgrades like new armour that you can pay for, and other times they can affect your actual gameplay like boosting your stats. There’s different types of microtransactions in games.

F or example, in your phone’s app store almost all the apps have a little note saying “in-app purchases”. You probably know what they are even if you haven’t actually heard of them before. Microtransactions are exactly what they sound like - small, quick purchases you can make in a game. Microtransactions, Loot Boxes, and Gacha Games

Online gambling vs gacha games