Furthermore, they are widely engaged with, attracting revenues exceeding those generated from some forms of gambling. Comparisons have been drawn with gambling because box contents vary in value, be it perceived/psychological worth (often linked to rarity), objective price (evident where they are available to buy outright), or “resale” value, within third-party markets, and the pattern of “rewards” (i.e., highly desirable contents being revealed) typically follows a variable reinforcement ratio, that is also characteristic of gambling activities. These boxes are most commonly purchased through real world currency transactions, where money is paid to open a virtual “pack”, “chest”, or similar, though they can also be obtained in-game through continuous play to earn in-game credits at a slower rate. Loot boxes are chance-based in-game purchases prevalent within video games (almost a billion of which are currently ranked as suitable for children ). Findings that certain motivations were disproportionately endorsed by participants with symptoms of problematic gambling has potential implications for policy and warrants further study. This study contributes to understanding ways in which digital items within loot boxes can be highly valued by purchasers, informing the debate around parallels with gambling. These themes are described in detail and discussed in relation to the existing literature and motivation theories. A reflexive thematic analysis categorised reasons for buying into seven “themes” opening experience value of box contents game-related elements social influences emotive/impulsive influences fear of missing out triggers/facilitators.

Given that motivations for gaming and gambling have been informative in understanding risky engagement with those behaviours, this qualitative study investigated motivations for buying loot boxes, through in-depth interviews with 28 gamers from across the UK. The importance of recognising and managing potential risks associated with loot box involvement means understanding contributing factors is a pressing research priority. Excessive engagement with (increasingly prevalent) loot boxes within games has consistently been linked with disordered gambling and/or gaming.

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