Researchers urge Roblox to “prioritise child safety” amid underage gambling concerns 

Roblox’s in-game spending features have been found to allegedly “cause harm to young users”, according to research from the University of Sydney. 

The study was designed to determine the impact in-game spending is having on the game’s users, 42% of which are under the age of 13. 

Roblox boasts 380 million active users worldwide per month, and though it is free to play, the game features multiple virtual currency systems and in-game purchases. 

Research found that many of the children playing the game struggled to understand the in-game purchases and ‘Robux’ – Roblox’s virtual currency – which in turn has led to many cases of unintentional overspending. 

The study found that despite loot boxes being banned for users aged 15 and under since September 2024, multiple Roblox games continue to feature monetised random rewards. 

Researchers from the School of Architecture, Design and Planning conducted 22 interviews with children aged between seven and 14, alongside their parents, to analyse their relationship with digital spending. Of the 22 children interviewed, 18 played Roblox.  

As part of the study, the children were provided with a debit card with A$20 (£10) of credit to spend however they liked, with 12 interviewees opting to spend their money on Roblox. 

Several of the children interviewed expressed frustration over the confusing nature of the in-game spending structure. 

Pet Simulator 99, a game found within Roblox, grants users a chance of 0.05% to win a ‘rare item’, encouraging players to buy more eggs to increase their chances of a win. 

This process was called into question by one child interviewed, who described it as “literally just child gambling”. The child added: “The game’s not fun. It’s more just a massive cash grab.” 

Researcher Professor Marcus Carter said: “Virtual currencies obscure purchase values which makes it difficult for children to discern the value of the items they want to buy in digital games. This leads to children spending more than they realise in game.” 

Reflecting on the impact that in-game spending features have on parents, Carter continued: “Parents report feeling overwhelmed and powerless to protect their children from these misleading features, which create a cycle of spending that can lead to significant emotional and financial distress.” 

One theme discovered during the research was the inability of children to comprehend the real-world cost of in-game Roblox spending.  

When asked how much they thought Robux cost in Australian dollars, one interviewee remarked: “I can’t even begin to grasp that”, while another admitted that trying to navigate the game’s virtual currency system was “scary”. 

Carter concluded by calling on all key parties to collaborate in an effort to make online gaming safer for children.

He said: “With digital gaming becoming an integral part of childhood, urgent steps must be taken to protect young users from financial exploitation, and stronger enforcement of Australia’s existing loot box bans is crucial to ensuring compliance. 

“We need to prioritise child safety over profit and eliminate deceptive monetisation features that exploit young players. 

“We call on policymakers, regulators and platform developers to work together to ensure that online gaming spaces are safe, transparent, ethical and designed with children’s best interests in mind.” 

Earlier this month, the Danish Gambling Authority (DGA) released its ‘Report on Illegal Gambling 2024’, in which it addressed concerns regarding the ability to access illegal online casinos via Roblox. 

The DGA found that players can withdraw Robux, convert the in-game currency into Danish kroner through DevEx (Roblox Developer Exchange Program), before logging into illegal online casinos using their respective Roblox sign-in credentials. 

As of August 2024, Denmark’s Court of Frederiksberg upheld the DGA’s verdict that sites offering Roblox logins to access gambling in Danish are therefore aimed at the country’s customers. 

The UK’s Gambling Commission (GC) also issued comment on the topic in December, after a Sky News investigation found that black market operators were using Roblox to entice children into online gambling. 

GC CEO Andrew Rhodes told Sky News the regulator is working to identify those behind the illegal casinos and urged parents of children who play Roblox to remain “vigilant”, before calling on game developers to follow all safeguarding practices. 

“They have to remember that criminals are always trying to find ways to exploit children and others and be alive to that risk,” Rhodes added.