Loot box purchasing and indebtedness : The role of psychosocial factors and problem gambling
Sirola, A., Nyrhinen, J., Nuckols, J., & Wilska, T.-A. (2023). Loot box purchasing and indebtedness : The role of psychosocial factors and problem gambling. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 18, Article 100516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2023.100516
Published in
Addictive Behaviors ReportsDate
2023Discipline
MarkkinointiSustainable BusinessKestävä liiketoiminta ja talous (painoala)SosiologiaResurssiviisausyhteisöHyvinvoinnin tutkimuksen yhteisöMarketingSustainable BusinessSustainable Business and Economy (focus area)SosiologySchool of Resource WisdomSchool of WellbeingCopyright
© 2023 the Authors
Introduction
Loot boxes are increasingly common random-reward monetization mechanisms in digital games. They are popular among gamblers and pose various risks due to their gambling-like nature, but little is known about psychosocial vulnerabilities and financial consequences of purchasing them. This article examined psychosocial associations with self-reported increase in loot box purchasing and indebtedness among past-year gamblers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
Cross-sectional survey data were collected in April 2021 from Finnish, Swedish, and British past-year gamblers aged 18 to 75 (n = 2,022). Measures of loneliness, psychological resilience, and problem gambling were studied in relation to loot box purchasing and indebtedness. Structural equation modeling was used as an analytical technique.
Results
Loneliness was positively associated with self-reported increase in loot box purchasing. No evidence was found regarding the protective role of psychological resilience in loot box purchasing. Increased loot box purchasing was associated with problem gambling. Problem gambling mediated the relationship between loot box purchasing and indebtedness.
Conclusions
The findings bring valuable insight into the psychosocial vulnerabilities and financial consequences in loot box purchasing. Loot box purchasing can add to one’s financial strain particularly among vulnerable individuals such as problem gamblers, making it crucial to regulate such monetization practices.
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Publisher
ElsevierISSN Search the Publication Forum
2352-8532Keywords
Publication in research information system
https://converis.jyu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/194179098
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Related funder(s)
Research Council of FinlandFunding program(s)
Others, AoF; Strategic research programmes, AoFAdditional information about funding
This work was supported by the Academy of Finland (decision #335635), the Strategic Research Council established within the Academy of Finland (decision #352544), and JYU.Well, the interdisciplinary community of wellbeing researchers at the University of Jyväskylä.License
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