【Get the cheese game rules printable】Study suggests children view Roblox gameplay elements as gambling

The research, involving 22 Australian children aged between seven and 14, and their parents, offers a rare child-centred perspective on an issue often dominated by adult voices and media discourse.

It reveals that children frequently experience harms from monetisation mechanisms in video games, not through overspending or addiction — common concerns among adults — but through feelings of being misled or deceived by game design.

Roblox emerged as the most commonly played game among participants, with 82% reporting regular use.

The use of monetisation mechanics, designed to exploit chance and scarcity, often left children frustrated or feeling cheated.

This is notable given Roblox’s vast global footprint — 380 million monthly active users — with around 42% of those under the age of 13.

The platform, created in 2006, markets itself as a space where users can create and share experiences. However, it asserts that it does not permit gambling.

Despite the claims, Roblox’s reputation has come under scrutiny for safety concerns, including incidents of grooming and abuse, despite the implementation of parental controls.

Children feel scammed by game developers

The new study employed semi-structured interviews and gave children a A$20 voucher to spend during or after the interview.

Most children converted their vouchers into in-game currencies like Robux (Roblox), V-Bucks (Fortnite), or spent them on related game items.

Through these interactions, the researchers uncovered a recurring theme in children’s experiences: a feeling of being “scammed” or “tricked”.

Children’s perceptions of harm were grounded in the sense that game developers and platforms were being dishonest about what purchases included.

Many expressed disappointment when in-game items did not meet expectations or disappeared without explanation.

For example, one child bought an item advertised with a particular wallpaper but was frustrated to find the wallpaper wasn’t part of the purchase.

Others were upset by the removal of items they had bought, particularly in Roblox, where user-generated content can be deleted or delisted without notice.

Random reward mechanisms (RRMs), such as loot boxes or spin-the-wheel features, were another major concern.

Though not all RRMs required monetary purchases, children described these features as deceptive. Some could articulate item probabilities and game mechanics in detail, but lacked a full understanding of statistical risk.

The study also detailed the complications children faced in navigating virtual currencies.

Many had trouble understanding the real-world value of currencies like Robux or V-Bucks, especially with tiered pricing models that encouraged larger purchases for better value.

In some cases, children ended up with leftover virtual currency they could not effectively use unless they spent more real money, a tactic the researchers described as manipulative.

Subscription models don’t offer value

Subscription models, such as battle passes in Fortnite or premium access in Roblox, were another monetisation feature examined.

Children often perceived monthly subscriptions as offering poor value unless they played frequently. Some preferred one-time purchases that provided permanent access.

Despite these critiques, subscriptions were sometimes appreciated for enabling social inclusion — children didn’t want to be left out when their peers had access to exclusive content.

Scamming by other players through in-game trading systems added another layer of harm. Children reported being tricked into unfair trades and receiving no recourse from platform moderators.

For example, the game Adopt Meincludes a reporting system for scams, but players received neither refunds nor item restoration, effectively shifting the responsibility of avoiding scams onto young users.

The loss of access to accounts or items was a particularly distressing experience. In one case, a child lost access to a Roblox account and was unable to retrieve previously purchased items, which led to emotional distress.

Another child was indefinitely banned from Fortnite after unintentionally breaching terms of service by activating a single-player mod in a multiplayer setting.

His parent estimated their family had spent over A$1,000 on the account — now inaccessible — with no clear appeals process.

Time to redesign games

The study’s authors argue that these experiences represent genuine harms, especially when monetisation features are deceptive.

They define monetisation harm as occurring “when it is misleading and/or deceptive about the outcome of an in-game purchase or spending feature.”

This reframes monetisation-related harm away from addiction or overspending, toward structural and design-driven issues.

To address these concerns, the authors proposed four design recommendations and the reasoning behind them:

– Remove monetised RRMs:Children do not possess the developmental capacity to understand or manage probability and risk effectively, making such features inherently harmful.

– Enable refunds for misleading purchases:Platforms should provide child-friendly refund mechanisms when items do not function as expected or are misrepresented.

– Improve protections for digital items and accounts:Developers should ensure users retain access to purchased items or offer appropriate compensation if items are removed.

– Make virtual currencies transparent and flexible:Children should be able to purchase exact amounts, and currency systems should clearly convey real-world value to avoid confusion and manipulation.

While Roblox dominates children’s digital play, the study cautions that the findings may not fully represent other games or regions.

Nonetheless, it offers a critical look at how monetisation practices affect young users, emphasising that children’s own perspectives — often more nuanced than expected — should guide future design and regulatory frameworks.

Despite their sophistication in navigating digital environments, children remain vulnerable to monetisation schemes that prioritise profit over transparency and trust.