Video games and online casinos moving dangerously closer together

For centuries, or possibly even thousands of years, mankind has enjoyed games and games of all kinds. In the same way that modern children swing in the playground and go down the slide, there must have been similar pastimes in the days of the cavemen. Slightly older children and adults, on the other hand, enjoyed card games, board games and video games, among other things. As adults, gambling may also come into play.

Recent years have also seen some worrying developments in the gaming sector. More and more games are incorporating micro-payments and purchases, which are beginning to be likened to gambling. In the worst case, this could lead to younger children becoming addicted to gambling and impulsive behaviour at a young age. These issues, and in particular the so-called loot boxes in games, are the subject of this article.

Earning logic in mobile games varies

The development of the games industry started to take a worrying turn when mobile games became more widespread. Today, both Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store offer a huge number of interesting games. Of course, much of it is also pretty rubbish, but there is still a lot of competition for quality games.

In the mobile games sector, we are gradually reaching a point where customers are no longer willing to pay for games because there are so many free downloads. As a result, game companies are increasingly forced to finance the making of their games through in-app purchases. In other words, you can download games for free, but some of the game content is locked in one way or another and reserved for paying customers.

One popular set of mobile games are the so-called pay-to-win games. In these games, the player is presented with situations that are so difficult that you can hardly survive them without being prepared to buy something more than the in-game hand. However, in many cases these games advertise themselves as being able to achieve their goals without paying. In such cases, the player usually has to either wait for a long time or repeat certain actions (i.e. grind) until the way forward finally opens up.

Another popular way to make money from free-to-download mobile games is by selling a variety of in-game peripherals. For example, players can buy new paid characters or, alternatively, visual upgrades for existing characters. For example, many games sell fun new outfits, hats and weapons for their players' characters, allowing you to customise your character to your own taste. Such character appearance upgrades are particularly popular in multiplayer games, where friends can proudly show off their purchases to each other.

A third way to finance the creation of games is to fill free-to-download games with advertising. Today, however, these ad-funded games are no longer very popular, as few players like the ads that pop up on their screens. In the worst cases, you can't even skip the ads, but have to watch them for half a minute or so before you can continue.

Surprise boxes as a clever but questionable earning tool

Finns are known the world over for their gambling habit. The Eutellerkasinot website helps those interested in casino games to find accessible and reliable casinos. However, not all video and mobile game lovers are thrilled with the way gambling elements have started to be introduced into their favourite games.

Surprise loot boxes are yet another way in which mobile games in particular are trying to attract players while keeping their main elements free of charge. The idea is that the customer can buy a surprise that contains some kind of content that is otherwise locked in the game. In this sense, a surprise box can be compared to, say, a pack of trading cards sold in a shop. A person cannot know whether the box will contain the rare thing they have been wanting, or whether it will be something they already have.

In many ways, the mechanism of surprise boxes can be likened to that of gambling. When a customer spins the reels of a slot machine, he too cannot know whether he is in for a huge bonus game or just an empty lottery ticket. The problem is that many mobile games with surprise boxes are largely aimed at children and young people, who are not legally allowed to participate in gambling.

After all, the problem with gambling is not just that you can lose money. Equally, it can be dangerous for the developing mind to program the brain's reward centres and dopamine production in unwanted ways. Buying constant boxes of surprises and occasional good vibes when the odds are in their favour can be dangerous for children.

At worst, it is possible that surprise boxes in games act as a gateway drug for children and young people, feeding impulsive behaviour. Children who buy a lot of surprise boxes may be more likely to end up playing gambling as minors in pursuit of similar dopamine storms.

The fate of surprise boxes is being investigated

The existence of surprise boxes has not gone unnoticed by policy makers. The Department of Health and Welfare recommended back in 2022 that regulation of loot boxes should be increased. In the wake of this development, for example, Supercell, a highly successful domestic mobile games company, has already decided to remove loot boxes from all its games. Today, all content in Supercell's games can be bought in stores for real money, without the questionable random mechanics.

It is also possible that the European Union will at some point intervene more strongly in the existence of loot boxes. The EU has also said that it will look into the situation regarding surprise boxes.