When does gaming become gambling?

Jarvis thought gambling meant casinos, slot machines, poker tables –  things with flashing lights and an age limit on the door. Then he found a site where you could bet the skins you'd already collected for a chance to win better ones. He won first time. Small win, huge buzz. He kept going back, and by the time he stopped, he'd already spent £3,000 of his dad's money without even realising.

Jarvis didn't wander into gambling by accident. Some game features are designed to create the same excitement and anticipation as gambling, but most people don't spot it because it's dressed up as a normal part of gaming.

Not every in-game purchase is gambling. The concern starts when you're paying for a chance to win something, rather than paying for a specific item you know you're getting.

The mechanic behind the buzz

Loot boxes, card packs, crates, mystery skins, whatever your game calls them, they all run on the same trick: you don't know what you're getting until after you've already paid. It's the same uncertainty that makes gambling exciting: you pay first and find out the outcome later. That's why researchers have repeatedly found that loot boxes can feel very similar to gambling and that the more someone spends on loot boxes, the more likely they are to shown signs of problem gambling.

Shouldn’t loot boxes be illegal then?

Loot boxes aren't currently classed as gambling under UK law because you're guaranteed to receive an item, even if you don't know what it is before paying. That legal grey area is exactly why it’s allowed even though it’s very similar to gambling.Third-party skin betting sites like the one Jarvis used can be even riskier. They're not part of the official game, they're often unregulated, and once items with real-world value are involved, the line between gaming and gambling becomes much harder to see.

The warning signs

Worried your game might be turning into gambling? Keep an eye out for the warning signs:

• You keep spending "just a bit more" to try to win back what you lost.
• You focus on the wins and ignore how much you've lost overall.
• You're using someone else's money, or money that was meant for something else.
• Near misses make you want to try "just one more time".
• You're hiding how much you've spent from people close to you.

If it's already gone too far

Jarvis's spending didn't just cost him money, it put his family into debt and cost him his sister's trust for a while. If any of this sounds familiar, don't keep it to yourself. The sooner you speak to a parent, trusted adult or support service, the easier it is to get help. Childline, GamCare or the National Gambling Helpline (Contact phone number: 0808 8020 133 Relay UK: 18001 0808 8020 133) all offer free, confidential support.