Several studies have found an association between loot box spending and problem gambling: people who spend more money on loot boxes are at higher risk of problem gambling. Recently, some researchers proposed an alternative interpretation: people may see loot boxes as a form of gambling and refer to loot box-related harms when being asked about gambling harms. This study tested this alternative interpretation. One group of participants were screened and given the problem gambling scale only when they reported gambling in the past year. Furthermore, they were instructed to not consider loot boxes as a form of gambling. The other group of participants were given the problem gambling scale regardless of whether they did or did not gamble. The researchers found that in both groups, people who spent more money on loot boxes had a higher risk of problem gambling. Thus, the alternative interpretation was not supported.
