• A Norwegian study of 9,000 adolescents found a strong link between in-game spending and gambling problems.
• The research by Spillforsk found 27.7% of youths aged 12-17 had purchased loot boxes in the past year.
• A significant gender divide was found, with 45% of boys buying loot boxes compared to just 9% of girls.
• Professor Ståle Pallesen, the study’s lead, warned that simulated gambling “normalises” this behaviour for minors.
• The findings come as Norwegian, UK, and EU authorities all increase regulatory pressure on loot boxes and skins gambling.

Norwegian Study Links In-Game Spending to Gambling Harm

A new study from Norway has provided quantitative evidence linking video game mechanics like loot boxes and skin betting to a higher prevalence of gambling problems among young people. The research, conducted by Spillforsk at the University of Bergen, surveyed 9,000 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17.

The 2025 study, led by Professor Ståle Pallesen, revealed widespread participation in simulated gambling. Key findings include:

• 29.4% had purchased virtual skins.
• 27.7% had purchased loot boxes.
• 15.5% had participated in skin betting.

Crucially, these individuals were significantly overrepresented among those displaying problematic gaming and gambling behaviours. Overall, 18.8% of all participants reported engaging in real-money gambling in the past year, with 7.1% meeting the criteria for gambling problems. The study also highlighted a stark gender gap: 27.7% of boys had gambled, versus only 9.3% of girls. This gap was even wider for loot boxes, with 45% of boys making purchases compared to just 9% of girls.

Simulated Gambling ‘Normalises’ Risk for Minors

Professor Pallesen warned that these game features act as a gateway, socialising young people into gambling. “Through simulated gambling, young people are socialised into gambling. They learn the technical skills but also a distorted reality where it is easy to win,” he said. “This becomes problematic as they grow older and are exposed to real gambling.”

The Spillforsk research also identified several co-existing risk factors. Youths experiencing problems with gambling and gaming were more likely to report issues with bullying, poor mental or physical health, low parental support, and the use of alcohol, tobacco, and energy drinks.

This study follows a unified move by Norwegian regulators. In June 2025, the Norwegian Gaming Authority (NGA), the Norwegian Consumer Authority (NCA), and the Norwegian Media Authority (NMA) joined forces to specifically address the rise of casino-style mechanics in video games.

Broader Regulatory Crackdown Across Europe

The Norwegian findings amplify a wave of regulatory scrutiny across Europe aimed at the convergence of gaming and gambling.

In the UK, the government recently escalated its investigation into gambling-like features. “Earlier this year” refers to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) commissioning a report, published in September 2025, that called for urgent regulation of skins gambling. That report found some unregulated skins gambling sites attracted more global traffic than established licensed bookmakers.

This momentum is also building at a continental level. In October 2025, the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) voted to adopt a new report on digital safety. The report explicitly calls for a ban on gambling-style elements, such as loot boxes, in all online games accessible to minors. The EU proposals also seek to introduce a new digital minimum age of 16 for accessing social media and AI companions without explicit parental consent.

Expert Analysis: Gateway Evidence Puts Industry on Notice

The Spillforsk study is significant because it moves the debate from theoretical harm to statistical correlation. For years, regulators have voiced concerns that loot boxes and skin betting act as a “gateway” to real-money gambling. This Norwegian research now provides a robust dataset showing that the very adolescents participating in these in-game mechanics are the same ones disproportionately suffering from gambling harm.

The key takeaway is that the “simulated” nature of these products is, as Professor Pallesen states, a socialisation tool. It teaches the mechanics, behaviours, and cognitive distortions of gambling (like a “distorted reality where it is easy to win”) in an environment that is unregulated and targeted at minors.

This evidence is precisely the ammunition regulators in Norway, the UK, and the EU have been waiting for. The coordinated action from the NGA, NCA, and NMA in June, the critical DCMS report in the UK, and the EU’s IMCO vote in October are not isolated events. They represent a clear, multi-jurisdictional regulatory pincer movement. The video game industry, which has long hidden behind the “it’s not technically gambling” defence, is now facing a future where that distinction is irrelevant. Regulators are now focused on harm and addictive design, not legal technicalities. This shift means the era of self-regulation is likely over, with legally binding restrictions on game design and access for minors now looking inevitable.