GambleAware, a UK-based independent charity that works to prevent gambling-related harm, sparked a national debate regarding the growing number of teens and children engaging in gambling, with many people blaming FIFA for the trend.
FIFA Among Factors Contributing to Underage Gambling, People Say
The organization has recently launched a striking installation in London featuring 85,000 poker chips arranged to depict a sad child, accompanied by the message “Gambling Can Grip Anyone.” Each chip symbolizes one of the estimated 85,000 children aged 11 to 17 in Great Britain currently experiencing harm related to gambling.
It seems that the project has worked as it has ignited conversation on how video games can also negatively affect young people and lead them to exhibit harmful gambling habits. Video games like FIFA have come under fire for facilitating said behavior and exposing children to gambling content.
According to one commenter, it is now nearly impossible for individuals to gamble underage with licensed betting companies, due to the extensive safeguards and verification processes in place. However, the real concern lies with features such as loot boxes—digital game elements that are not currently classified as gambling by regulators. This, they argue, is where the focus of the conversation should be.
One man shared his personal experience with FIFA and its in-game loot box system. “I got addicted to gambling, and it all stems from playing FIFA Ultimate Team, aka EASPORTSFC and its packs. It gives you that dopamine hit when you pull a big player, they make it very easy for you to get addicted, and it’s a 3+ game [meaning children as young as 4 years old can play it], which is crazy,” the man wrote on X.
Has the UK Done Anything About This?
There’s been a debate on the topic of loot boxes in video games in the UK for years. And while many voices have been raised for the ban of such monetization strategies in video games, the UK ruled out banning the practice. This happened back in July of 2022, following an almost two-year-long consultation on the matter.
The government’s decision was based on the finding that existing studies show a correlation, but not a causal relationship, between problem gambling and loot box purchases. In other words, while a connection exists, there is no definitive evidence that one directly causes the other.
Nadine Dorries, the UK’s culture minister at the time, said the decision comes despite the consultation revealing “consistent” links to problem gambling. The minister also cautioned that banning or imposing partial restrictions on loot boxes could result in “unintended consequences.” According to the minister, if such a ban were laid in place, it could have pushed children to use adult accounts, thus parents would have had less oversight on children’s play and spending. Dories also clarified that children “should not be able to purchase loot boxes without parental approval.”