Video games for kids work like snacks. “My child was 5 years old when he “opened boxes” worth 1,200 lei”
The appetite for gambling doesn't start with groceries, but with a game on the phone or computer. Behind colorful images and “surprises”, some video games use the same mechanism as gambling: you pay for a chance, you don't know what you're getting, and the uncertainty keeps you coming back. Studies show that this early exposure works as training for gambling behaviors. And for many children, the first contact with this mechanism occurs years before the age at which they would be legally allowed to play.
A few years ago, when my child was 5 years old, I woke up to a notice from the bank. 1,200 lei. I hadn't bought anything, but the child had discovered some “surprise boxes” in his favorite game. He pressed them. Several times.
“I put my finger on some beautifully colored boxes with light coming out of them,” he explained.
On the screen, the animated boxes moved, made sounds and drew attention with lights. It was not clear that it was a payment, nor what he was to receive. Everything was built as a surprise. Of course, in such cases, it is also a matter of parental responsibility, but let's face it: many times, the phone ends up in the hands of the child. And when the card is already saved, there aren't many barriers between pressing a button and a real payment. Back then, online payments were made easier. Today, some are additionally secured, but the mechanism in the games has remained the same.
I recovered part of the money, but the question remained: how does a child end up playing like in a casino?
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