to ask you not to let your children buy in-game "lootboxes"

[Nimbostratus100]

These are in-game purchases, when you spend money on a closed box, and take a chance on what you end up with.

It is against the law for children to gamble, yet these in-game purchases are gambles, and gambling alters the brain, and addiction is a very real possibility as children's brains acclimatise to gambling from such a young age.

They become addicted to the thrill of exchanging money for a probability

These are very harmful. Please dont let your child get ensnared by these - they are even in games such as Fifa, and in games marketed as suitable for children as young as 4.

I dont know why these are not illegal for children. They should be

also, equally dodgy, "skins"

It was voted on/discussed in parliament, fairly recently, and the government decided that lootboxes are not classed as gambling (I don't agree).

What about raffles and tombolas in schools? What are your thoughts on blind bag collectibles or Panini sticker books?

Why are skins dodgy? They are in-game purchases and thus not suitable for younger children, but as far as I've seen, you know what you are buying.

A bit like a kinder egg surprise?

Or a lucky bag from the newsagent?

From age 4.... maybe, just maybe, the unsupervised internet usage is the problem here....as well as accounts being linked up to bank cards or parents credit cards?

Personally I never allow my DS9 to purchase anything in-game. Any purchase would need my authorisation. But I agree, anything like that which encourages gambling should definitely not be allowed on games aimed at kids.

not so bad in themselves, but often linked to totally unregulated "sale sites" where you can trade them and get chatting with complete strangers.....

I dislike them all. I think they are gambling and I don’t like to see schools endorsing then.

It's not gambling if you don't stand to gain financially

but often linked to totally unregulated "sale sites" where you can trade them and get chatting with complete strangers.....

Then it's up to the parents to put appropriate safeguards & restrictions in place.

Then people should monitor what their kids do online.

Is it really gambling thing? In my mind it’s like the virtual version of a lucky bag or something where you don’t know the contents.

Children shouldn’t have unrestricted access to the internet though and certainly not card details.

I can see the age concerns, but is it any different to the "surprise" toys kids get? Kinder eggs, the LOL things, Ryan's world etc. when I was a kid I r went surprise bags. If there is a minimum guaranteed value so you're not going to technically "lose out" I'm not sure it's gambling? I've never thought of a beauty calendar as gambling, with a lottery ticket you pay £2 and get nothing if you lose, you don't really "lose" if you sort of know the product, you're paying for the surprise not the thrill (Unless I'm misunderstanding a loot box)

yes, it is gambling, paying money for a game of chance, so it fits the definition

But more important than semantics, it triggers off the cascade in the brain which leads to the abnormalities that cause gambling addiction

This is particularly true of young brains

But it's not just a game, they get something? If they had to pay and the box could be empty I'd agree with you. Do you feel the same about happy meals? Kinder eggs? LOL surprise toys?

How about not let your kid play games that are linked to your credit card/bank details.
They can't "gamble" if they can't buy the loot boxes.

They get "something" - yes, but they are paying money and getting something thats value is totally random, and it could be valueless.

@Nimbostratus100 but as I say that's not very different to kinder eggs etc, you haven't said how you feel in comparison to that.

It is not about what I feel, it is about what is happening in the brains of children and young people who are buying these loot boxes.

As far as I know, this cascade of accumulative brain impairment has been linked to loot boxes, not to Happy meals, Kinder eggs, etc.

I would guess that the experience is just not so visually and emotionally intense, and isolating, in the real world, with an actual physical object, with a parent or carer, buying something which is predominantly to be eaten... but I don't know, I am just guessing

Op this is just a marketing ploy and it happens all around you not just online games

Even the Mac Donald's 'collectible' happy meal toys

It's everywhere...

Op.... maybe it loot boxes that's been used as a research tool and there's been no research elsewhere

Don't blindly believe everything you read

Well you're stating an opinion not a fact, that's why I'm asking why you feel so strongly. My kids game and they haven't even mentioned them before (so admittedly my understanding is limited, and no I wouldn't let them buy one as it sounds a waste of money, not sure I'd call them gambling though).

I think the comparison to gambling is a stretch. Don’t like this kind of thing for whatever reason, but calling it gambling for kiddies and urging other people not to buy them is over the top, IMO.

Op is going to provide some spurious link I'm sure