Recent controversy has surrounded the concept of loot boxes - the purchasable video game features that offer randomised rewards but are not governed by gambling laws.
Now research led by the University of Plymouth has shown that at-risk individuals, such as those with known gaming and gambling problems, are more likely to engage with loot boxes than those without.
The study is one of the largest, most complex and robustly designed surveys yet conducted on loot boxes, and has prompted experts to reiterate the call for stricter enforcement around them.
Existing studies have shown that the items are structurally and psychologically akin to gambling but, despite the evidence, they still remain accessible to children.
The new findings, which add to the evidence base linking loot boxes to gambling, are published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
The surveys captured the thoughts of 1,495 loot box purchasing gamers, and 1,223 gamers who purchase other, non-randomised game content.
They highlighted that taking the risk of opening a loot box was associated with people who had experienced problem gambling, problem gaming, impulsivity and gambling cognitions - including the perceived inability to stop buying them.
It also showed that any financial or psychological impacts from loot box purchasing are liable to disproportionately affect various at-risk cohorts, such as those who have previously had issues with gambling.
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