Opinion: Gacha games pose increasing threat for younger players    

From their introduction back in 1958, video games have become a large staple in modern society capturing the attention of many people worldwide.

 From different types of games like shooters, RPGs, Strategy, and casual, the market has continued to grow in population, and revenue is estimated to continue growing into the future with its trends. Especially with the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, the gaming industry boomed and many people found new ways to entertain themselves in their homes.

 With an approximate number of over 3 billion active gamers worldwide, a large portion of this group are quite young with 58% of that population being 34 or younger. However, with such a large young audience consuming video game media, who’s to say they won’t fall under one of the easiest traps for these companies to make money, Gambling?

Gambling within our modern society is a large industry, gaining the attention of many people trying to earn money by chance. However, similarly to gaming, the younger generation is more likely to gamble than older people, with 69% of Generation Z from 18-26 having participated in gambling. 

Why does this statistic matter though? With the rise of new games coming out every year, a new form of play called “Gacha” games has seemingly spread over the world with its popularity, with its biggest game being Genshin Impact which changed the industry forever. 

 These games implement a system similar to gambling, giving small chances of obtaining outstanding items/characters by “rolling” for them, either by saving up the in-game currency for long periods or by exchanging real-world currency into the game’s premium in-game currency. 

The underlying problem this creates is that many young adults are exposed to this system, and can fall victim to gambling habits that result from the gacha/loot box system.

The primary issue, just like gambling, is users can get carried away with how much they spend on these games. Likewise, with excessive spending, these same users can fall into debt by spending way more than they expected.

 Unlike casinos, which age restrictions are regulated under the law, gacha games are not as anyone under the age of 18 or 21 is capable of spending money within these games. 

Not only can these actions lead to early financial ruin, but they can also harm the person’s relationships within the real world, spending more time on games they spent money on and becoming addicted to gacha games.

 Especially with how predatory the gaming company’s methods are in drawing in old and new players into these games and spending money, the problem can only continue to rise as more people essentially become gambling addicts, trapped within a casino. 

A large part of combating these “Gacha” games lies within the individual user’s financial responsibility and restraints.

 These are legitimate business strategies that these companies use, but it’s up to the individual whether or not they are willing to engage in these games and their mechanics. 

Good ways to enjoy these games without falling victim to gambling addiction can include: setting boundaries/budgets on how much you spend, limiting the amount of playtime you spend per day/week, and recognizing when you are losing and accepting it.

 In the case of preventing younger players from spending, there could easily be limits to how much money a user can spend per day and an age restriction preventing anyone under the age of 16 from excessive spending. With how large the young gaming population is, it’s important to know how much of an influence this can have on our spending habits, and be aware of the dangers of participating in these games before falling victim to these gacha systems.

Arnold Rabago is a sophomore at Texas A&M University at Galveston, currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Engineering. While maintaining a healthy school-life balance, he shifted his focus to investigate the rise of dangers in the hobbies he enjoys and the potential consequences that can arise.