Leon Xiao
@leonxiao.com
Assistant Professor @ CityUHK | Loot Boxes; Video Game Law 🎮🎰 | Empirical Legal & Policy Research | Pro Screenshotter 📱📸 | leonxiao.com
Manoeuvring units around locations between turns is interesting and quite a unique mechanic for a TCG.
November 16, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Manoeuvring units around locations between turns is interesting and quite a unique mechanic for a TCG.
What if the problem “gambling” harms being detected amongst young people are stemming from gambling-like products and not “traditional” gambling?
Gambling prevalence surveys (academic and national) need proper definitions!
See academic discussions:
doi.org/10.1016/j.ad...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...
Gambling prevalence surveys (academic and national) need proper definitions!
See academic discussions:
doi.org/10.1016/j.ad...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...
November 14, 2025 at 8:19 AM
What if the problem “gambling” harms being detected amongst young people are stemming from gambling-like products and not “traditional” gambling?
Gambling prevalence surveys (academic and national) need proper definitions!
See academic discussions:
doi.org/10.1016/j.ad...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...
Gambling prevalence surveys (academic and national) need proper definitions!
See academic discussions:
doi.org/10.1016/j.ad...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...
Perplexing survey design choice to not explicitly ask about #LootBoxes and #SkinGambling anymore when the definition for “gambling” used in the overall survey did include them (“any activity which involves risking money (or something of value) in the hope of winning money or a prize”)… 🤨
November 14, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Perplexing survey design choice to not explicitly ask about #LootBoxes and #SkinGambling anymore when the definition for “gambling” used in the overall survey did include them (“any activity which involves risking money (or something of value) in the hope of winning money or a prize”)… 🤨
These are not being regulated by the Gambling Commission (either due to the legal definition not fitting or, far more concerningly, irresponsible non-enforcement of gambling law), but they should most certainly be included in any research to track engagement rate trends and inform stakeholders. 🤔
November 14, 2025 at 8:19 AM
These are not being regulated by the Gambling Commission (either due to the legal definition not fitting or, far more concerningly, irresponsible non-enforcement of gambling law), but they should most certainly be included in any research to track engagement rate trends and inform stakeholders. 🤔
Kotaku suggests this change is to better compete with Roblox: kotaku.com/fortnite-loo....
Fortnite Opens The Loot Box Flood Gates In Race With Roblox
The controversial microtransactions are being called 'paid random items'
kotaku.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Kotaku suggests this change is to better compete with Roblox: kotaku.com/fortnite-loo....
Journalists have rightfully pushed back: one is of course, entitled to their own reasonable opinion as to what “gambling” is.
November 12, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Journalists have rightfully pushed back: one is of course, entitled to their own reasonable opinion as to what “gambling” is.
When this change was reported, Epic Games reached out to journalists demanding “corrections” by asking them to stop referring to these mechanics as “gambling”: insider-gaming.com/fortnite-gam...; www.thegamer.com/fortnite-lea....
Epic Games Refutes Fortnite Gambling Accusations, Evidence Says Otherwise
Epic Games reached out to Insider Gaming to deny the addition of gambling in Fortnite, though their own evidence says otherwise.
insider-gaming.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:43 AM
When this change was reported, Epic Games reached out to journalists demanding “corrections” by asking them to stop referring to these mechanics as “gambling”: insider-gaming.com/fortnite-gam...; www.thegamer.com/fortnite-lea....
Probability disclosures are always required. Also, direct exhortations to children to make purchases are explicitly mentioned in the guidance and prohibited (e.g., “Buy now!”). Similarly, developers may set different minimum ages for purchasing loot boxes.
Deets: dev.epicgames.com/documentatio...
Deets: dev.epicgames.com/documentatio...
In Island Transactions Restrictions in Fortnite | Fortnite Documentation | Epic Developer Community
Understand the rules and restrictions for offering in-island purchases to players in different regions in Fortnite.
dev.epicgames.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Probability disclosures are always required. Also, direct exhortations to children to make purchases are explicitly mentioned in the guidance and prohibited (e.g., “Buy now!”). Similarly, developers may set different minimum ages for purchasing loot boxes.
Deets: dev.epicgames.com/documentatio...
Deets: dev.epicgames.com/documentatio...
But, #LootBoxes are also wholly restricted in Australia (not just for under-18s), the UK (for under-18s in all cases, so even after explicit parental consent is sought and given), the Netherlands, and Singapore. The latter examples do not have a sufficient legal or industry self-regulatory basis.
November 12, 2025 at 3:43 AM
But, #LootBoxes are also wholly restricted in Australia (not just for under-18s), the UK (for under-18s in all cases, so even after explicit parental consent is sought and given), the Netherlands, and Singapore. The latter examples do not have a sufficient legal or industry self-regulatory basis.
For example, these mechanics are sensibly prohibited in Belgium and Brazil (from March 2026), both in accordance with relevant rules.
November 12, 2025 at 3:43 AM
For example, these mechanics are sensibly prohibited in Belgium and Brazil (from March 2026), both in accordance with relevant rules.
Notably, the implementation has built-in compliance features (so fewer burdens on the part of individual developers at least) that are inspired by actual regulations but sometimes go above and beyond actual legal requirements.
November 12, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Notably, the implementation has built-in compliance features (so fewer burdens on the part of individual developers at least) that are inspired by actual regulations but sometimes go above and beyond actual legal requirements.
Photo credit: Dr James Morris @jamesmorris24.bsky.social. (If you're wondering, UK video game ad non-compliance with the requirement to disclose the presence of loot boxes on social media is likely “down” to ~87.5%. 🤦 A LONG way more to go.)
November 10, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Photo credit: Dr James Morris @jamesmorris24.bsky.social. (If you're wondering, UK video game ad non-compliance with the requirement to disclose the presence of loot boxes on social media is likely “down” to ~87.5%. 🤦 A LONG way more to go.)
Thanks also to all my collaborators, inter alia, Elena Petrovskaya @elepetrovs.bsky.social, Callum Deery @callumdeery.bsky.social, Nicole Khoo, Solip Park @solippark.bsky.social, AMANDA ROBERTS @arobertslincoln.bsky.social, Maarten Denoo, and Philip Newall on the ad repository projects.
November 10, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Thanks also to all my collaborators, inter alia, Elena Petrovskaya @elepetrovs.bsky.social, Callum Deery @callumdeery.bsky.social, Nicole Khoo, Solip Park @solippark.bsky.social, AMANDA ROBERTS @arobertslincoln.bsky.social, Maarten Denoo, and Philip Newall on the ad repository projects.
Thanks to the City University of Hong Kong and the Academic Forum for the Study of Gambling (AFSG; @afsguk.bsky.social) for funding.
November 10, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Thanks to the City University of Hong Kong and the Academic Forum for the Study of Gambling (AFSG; @afsguk.bsky.social) for funding.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. We are all “addiction researchers.” Let’s break down those barriers and work together more!
November 10, 2025 at 12:26 AM
But it doesn’t have to be that way. We are all “addiction researchers.” Let’s break down those barriers and work together more!
It is also exciting to see broader inclusion of behavioural addiction at this year’s annual conference. Many recognise and speak of “silos” within addiction research: e.g., “gambling researchers” only do gambling research.
November 10, 2025 at 12:26 AM
It is also exciting to see broader inclusion of behavioural addiction at this year’s annual conference. Many recognise and speak of “silos” within addiction research: e.g., “gambling researchers” only do gambling research.
Importantly, I also showed how this research method could be more widely used for substance-based addiction, beyond behavioural addiction: for example, for studying the advertising of alcohol and nicotine pouches.
November 10, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Importantly, I also showed how this research method could be more widely used for substance-based addiction, beyond behavioural addiction: for example, for studying the advertising of alcohol and nicotine pouches.
We can see a copy of all adverts shown and gain information about demographic-based targeting and reach of users. In contrast, data access is not mandated in other countries, but some platforms have voluntarily provided limited data for other places, such as the UK. Stay tuned for more publications!
November 10, 2025 at 12:26 AM
We can see a copy of all adverts shown and gain information about demographic-based targeting and reach of users. In contrast, data access is not mandated in other countries, but some platforms have voluntarily provided limited data for other places, such as the UK. Stay tuned for more publications!
For these studies, we used social media ad repositories enabled by the EU Digital Services Act, which now requires their provision for EU member states (e.g., Meta’s: www.facebook.com/ads/library/).
Ad Library
www.facebook.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:26 AM
For these studies, we used social media ad repositories enabled by the EU Digital Services Act, which now requires their provision for EU member states (e.g., Meta’s: www.facebook.com/ads/library/).
I presented our recent research assessing whether video gaming and gambling advertising are complying with regulations (e.g., UK game ads should disclose the presence of #LootBoxes and Dutch gambling ads shouldn’t target under-24s).
November 10, 2025 at 12:26 AM
I presented our recent research assessing whether video gaming and gambling advertising are complying with regulations (e.g., UK game ads should disclose the presence of #LootBoxes and Dutch gambling ads shouldn’t target under-24s).
I hope that this impact is that globally, we adopt more evidence-based regulation of “addictive” products and behaviours, inter alia, (i) test policies before and after implementation and (ii) learn from other countries. 👩🏻🔬🌍🌏🌎 www.addiction-ssa.org/funding/fred...
Fred Yates Prize for Early Career Researchers
www.addiction-ssa.org
November 10, 2025 at 12:26 AM
I hope that this impact is that globally, we adopt more evidence-based regulation of “addictive” products and behaviours, inter alia, (i) test policies before and after implementation and (ii) learn from other countries. 👩🏻🔬🌍🌏🌎 www.addiction-ssa.org/funding/fred...