New research reveals alarming insights into how in-game spending impacts children who play the popular online gaming platform, Roblox.
The study finds that children struggle with complex and deceptive in-game spending features. This often leads to unintentional overspending, highlighting the urgent need for action from policymakers, regulators, and platform developers.
Roblox boasts 380 million monthly active users globally. It is a free-to-play platform that generates billions in revenue by in-game purchases, as well as virtual currency systems.
In 2024, much of Roblox’s US$3.6 billion revenue came from in-game microtransactions, primarily purchases of its virtual currency, Robux.
To understand children’s experiences with digital spending, researchers from the School of Architecture, Design and Planning conducted a study. The study is titled “They’re Scamming Me: How Children Experience and Conceptualize Harm in Game Monetization.” The study interviewed 22 children aged 7-14, along with their parents. Unprecedented insights into how young players navigate digital transactions have been provided by the study. Eighteen of the twenty-two children played Roblox.
Dr Taylor Hardwick, researcher and Postdoctoral Fellow said that their research found that the design of in-game spending features in games like Roblox cause harm to young users.
The findings show that children struggle with complex transactions and deceptive mechanics while they value their purchases. Many children and parents describe them as scams, cash grabs, and even child gambling.
Dr. Hardwick said that during the interviews, they gave children an AUD $20 debit card to spend however they liked. This helped them understand the decision-making process behind the children’s spending.
She also said that while four children purchased non-digital items with their debit card, like bicycle parts, toys and lollies, 12 children made purchases in Roblox.
