Gaming or gambling? Lifting the lid on in-game loot boxes

The article explores how loot boxes, skin betting, and other microtransactions blur the line between gaming and gambling, emphasizing addiction and financial risks for minors, the growth of unregulated third-party markets, influencer amplification, and slow-moving regulation; it advises parents to educate children about gambling mechanics, monitor games and influencers, enable parental controls and spending limits, and promote offline activities to reduce harm.