DCMS has commissioned PUBLIC (a digital transformation consultancy in the public sector) in partnership with the University of York to carry out this independent research with thousands of children and young people nationally. It also ties in with our existing work on tackling child financial harms and will inform an educational response to this issue.
Don't miss this opportunity for your school to take part in groundbreaking research and inform the Government’s evidence base and solutions!
Read more & sign up to take part
Loot boxes are a common video game feature, allowing players to spend real money on virtual upgrades such as characters, skins and weapons.
But this is a random reward: players don’t know what they’re getting for their money until after purchase – leading to concerns that this represents a threat to children and their families’ financial wellbeing and potentially promotes risk-taking behaviours that could cause further problems in later life.
Parent Zone research found that younger children were especially vulnerable to these methods.
For more on loot boxes, watch our Talk Money Week Twilight session recording with Dr David Zendle: