Survey reveals impact of high-cost video game purchases

A survey by Young Scot and Fast Forward has revealed the financial toll of in-game purchases with nearly a quarter of young gamers admitting to gambling while playing video games.

The survey, which assessed gaming habits over the past year, found that 91% of the 406 respondents had played video games within that period. Of these gamers, 35% reported that gaming had affected their lives in various ways, citing concerns such as strained relationships, financial costs, schoolwork struggles and a negative impact on mental health.

One of the key concerns highlighted is the prevalence of loot boxes—digital items such as chests, cards, or crates that contain random rewards that can be purchased while playing video games. Research has increasingly linked loot boxes to higher risks of gambling-related harm among young people. The survey, conducted anonymously online, found that two-thirds of young gamers admitted to opening a loot box, with 57% of respondents recognising it as a form of gambling.

One young person described the negative impact of gaming:

“Spending stupid amounts of money, although they brought me happiness at the time and for maybe 2 years, I still wish I could get that money back – I have spent too much money on virtual items and I regret this.”

The survey, commissioned to follow two previous surveys on gaming and gambling, demonstrates that the majority of young people view gambling as harmful (81%) with 72% considering gambling activity to be ‘readily available’ and 87% viewing it as ‘risky’. When it comes to finding help for harmful gambling, over three-quarters of young people don’t know where to turn and 40% wouldn’t know where to refer a friend for support.

“It would cause arguments between me and my family over how much I would spend,” shared one young person. “It created an addiction that was terrifyingly scary as I just couldn’t stop, it made me feel so free when I was pressing the purchase button no matter the consequences.”

A young person shared their worries about gambling addiction in their family.

“My dad gambles and I am always worried when he’s going again and how much he spends. It usually ends up with large sums of money down the drain which causes financial instability in the household as well as mental instability for my mum.”

Fast Forward programme manager Fran Howard said:

“Gambling harm is hidden. It is rarely associated with young people and their voices are often missed from the conversation.”

“This survey is about giving them the space to talk about how gambling harm impacts their lives and the challenges that they are facing. If we are to keep young people in Scotland safer we need to start listening to what they have to say and build that into discussions about how we tackle gambling harm.”

The survey was promoted through Fast Forward’s Scottish Gambling Education Hub in colleges and universities and via the Young Scot membership portal and social media channels.

Download your copy of the survey here: YS Survey Report FINAL

Editor’s notes

Young Scot is the youth engagement platform for 11 to 26-year-olds in Scotland, providing over 830,000 Young Scot cardholders access to the Young Person’s Free Bus Travel Scheme and our free Young Scot Membership platform. For over 40 years, Young Scot has provided young people with information, ideas and opportunities to help them make informed decisions and choices. Our data and insights service offers opportunities to understand the opinions, preferences, and behaviours of young people. Leveraging tailored surveys and advanced analytics, we help organisations uncover valuable insights to inform their strategies and decisions.

Fast Forward is a national charitable organisation working to raise awareness, prevent and educate around gambling and gaming harm.  We support children, young people, families, communities and practitioners by promoting awareness of gambling harms through training, peer education, peer theatre and film, our network, and more. To achieve this, we provide free training, support, and resources to organisations working with children, young people, families, and communities. We advocate a public health approach to gambling harm prevention, and education is only one piece of that puzzle. That’s why we’re so passionate about the importance of working in partnership and collaboration to create change.