Microtransactions are purchases that people can make within digital games to obtain rewards like cosmetic upgrades, new game content, and in-game currency. Concerns have been raised about the potential for microtransactions to encourage gambling. In this study, the researchers looked at how microtransactions in digital games might influence problem gambling over time.
The researchers recruited 949 adults living in mainland Finland who played digital games. Participants completed eight online surveys, each six months apart, between 2021 and 2024. The surveys included questions about gambling participation, problem gambling, microtransactions in digital games, alcohol use, and mental health symptoms.
Microtransactions predicted increased problem gambling across the study timepoints. However, this effect disappeared when accounting for gambling participation, suggesting that gambling participation more strongly predicts future problem gambling than microtransactions. Therefore, the effect of microtransactions on problem gambling might be indirect. These findings provide insight into the complex relationships between microtransactions, gambling participation, and future problem gambling.
