young people, gaming and gambling PAPER – august 2019

A sample of interviews with 500 young people and families conducted by the Safer Online Gambling Group has found that young people’s spend on in-game purchases on both apps and video games could be toppling £270m per year; as a conservative indicative estimate.*

Our documentary analysis has also shown us that one in ten young people has accidentally spent money on in-game micro transactions and that this simulation of gambling like behaviour could fuel a sharp rise in underage and youth gambling addiction. That, coupled with the fact that 82% of Apple’s App revenue for instance comes from in-app micro transactions, whilst not all of these are gaming related, this does make us worry for young people’s futures as we know over 95% of young people play games on smartphones or tablets.

We are seriously concerned about what we have found out and have published the full results of our research today – handing it in to top politicians to demand changes to the way games are designed and rolled out across technology platforms. We have also called today for gambling advertising affiliates to be more strictly monitored and audited to prevent young people from being able to see gambling advertising underage.

For any questions about the findings of our analysis or to find out more, please contact [email protected].

References: *£500-600 per year spend, average based on people who responded to SOGG interview questions – 1 in 2 families’ children regularly used in-app purchasable features in games in this cross-section of interviews

1 in 10 accidentally spent money on in-app purchases: Childnet

82% Apple revenue from in-app micro transactions, we asked Apple how much came from gaming and how much comes from U18’s – no response: Mirabaud Securities

95% young people use games on apps via smartphones or tablets: Childnet

Further referencing and documentary analysis used to cite in PR: Gambling Commission Young People and Gambling 2018 — ParentZone young people gaming and gambling report 2018 — 

Young people, advertising and marketing – IPSOS Mori / GambleAware 2019