Do you have questions about your DCs and online gaming? Ask HSBC UK's gaming expert Andy Robertson

[CeriMumsnet]

Online gaming is extremely popular amongst young people, however it doesn’t come without its dangers and risks, from overspending to identity theft. As part of their Smart Gaming initiative, HSBC UK is working in partnership with Andy Robertson, founder of Family Gaming Database to support parents and young people to better manage their money and stay safe when gaming. Andy is here to answer your questions about online video games.

• Everyone who shares a question on the thread below will be entered into a prize draw.
• One lucky Mumsnet user will win a £200 voucher.
• Andy will be back online to answer a selection of your questions.

About Andy Robertson Andy is a father of 3 and has 15 years of experience working with families and video games. He is a journalist who has written for Forbes, BBC, The Guardian and The Mirror. He wrote the Taming Gaming book and founded the Family Gaming Database resource for parents.

Here's what HSBC UK has to say
'Financial education at an early age can teach children important future life skills. If your child is gaming online, then it is essential that they understand key money concepts such as spending and budgeting. The challenge is to stay in control and keep track of spending which is not always easy when your child is in the middle of an exciting new game.

It’s also crucial that young gamers are made aware of fraud and what to look out for. Identity theft, money muling and account fraud are unfortunately part of the online world. The HSBC UK gaming hub includes tips and resources to help children stay safe while enjoying gaming, including animated videos on spending, identity theft and fraud.'

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

Mumsnet Insight T&Cs apply.

I think age 12 or 13 is early enough to learn about fraud etc - Lets protect our DC's from the predators - I think to let them game - age appropriate but off line so no outside contact can be made - do you agree ? if no why not TIA

I have clicked the link and I think there is good advice albeit what I would expect that a common sense approach should be.
I have heard horror stories about young children buying for example 'gold bars' for credits to buy upgrades for their on-line farm - but should a bank have an algorithm to prevent this happening - and stop multiple purchases ?

Can you easily turn off in play purchases - or do you think the 'industry' has make this more difficult to do ?

Have. you come across a game which actually teaches children about the dangers of on on line gaming - money - how to deal with friend requests, settings, I think clicking no to a popup to buy more lives etc and earning points would be good .

Usually it's password protected, once a parent sets up the password it does not let you make a purchase, then it's up to the parents to make sure they keep the passwords secret.

the industry does not need any enhanced settings, as long as parents set up the password for restricting purchases

The problem there, is parents not putting a password in place to restrict the purchasing of in-game items.

Or kids figure out the parents passwords.

Game lag usually is not due to different profiles, it's usually due to the servers for the consoles or the game servers themselves, for example the latest call of duty series has been lagging on the servers ecf

I check the history on the laptop when they play Roblox and chat to them about being careful about who they speak to. Is this enough?

Is there a link between online gamers and online gamblers?
Addiction to either / both is a concern.

DD doesn't get my card details and if she is playing anything linked to an account like Amazon or whatever then she knows she is not allowed to buy anything.

If they aren't old enough to know the difference between real money and game money and the game is linked to your card, then they aren't old enough to be playing the game.

I really do not want to introduce my DS (7) to gaming - even though there is peer pressure from his pals - what games would you think 7 year olds can play on-line together, and how do I prevent anyone joining the chat/game on-line

I sometimes let mine play a game before dinner, the idea being that it’s a good break from gaming for the day. I give ten to fifteen minutes warning that it will be time to stop for dinner but this is becoming a problem. How long is reasonable to expect someone to wrap up a game?

Any suggestions for resolving online gaming arguments? I feel sometimes my DS gets so involved and excited whilst playing that if his friends upsets him in the game a big shouting argument might erupt...😡

What’s your thoughts on children with ADHD / ADD and gaming? Should I be more involved and restrict usage than otherwise for NT?

Oh and @CeriMumsnet whens the draw please

What's your best advice for console sharing - I have bought an Xbox to share - (yes I know it's going to be difficult) 2 player games and 2 handsets ? or 2 accounts and a day each ?

What’s the best way to find out which games are most appropriate for my children? (They are 6, 8 & 13).

Do you think that banks have a duty to make online in app purchases harder to reinforce if is real money? If you always had to go to your banking app and approve the transaction, it would make some kids stop and think it was real.

Hi @Goodgrief82! The prize draw will take place tomorrow (20/12)

At what age would I be ok letting my child play online games unsupervised?

I started online gaming as an older adult, playing the game Travian. It was a fun and absorbing game, and I met a real-life friend through it. However, even as someone who knew better I left myself short between pay-days by buying "gold" to progress more quickly.

Is there any way for players (or their parents of course) to put a cap on their in-game spending? (Like for example the Lottery which allows you to set a limit, or my phone company whom I asked to block calls to competition site numbers).

Many thanks to all who have left questions for Andy, he will be online soon to answer some of them.

The winner of the prize draw is @sharond101 - congratulations!

Thank you mumsnet!

My question is a little different, are there any initiatives or online resources that could help stamp out some of the ignorance amongst Mumsnetters?

Gaming threads always end up the same way. They think gaming is inappropriate for certain ages, they think games ALL have in game transactions or ‘buying levels’, theres a comment above connecting ‘gaming’ to gambling without any mention of which TYPE of gaming they suspect could be a risk.

I think they just see every game as ‘GAME’ - singular, all one thing and all the same. It’s bollocks, my friend, and very frustrating for those of us who do understand gaming and what it entails.

Hi everyone. Thanks so much for your interesting questions. I'm looking forward to answering some of them below!