Risky Loot Box Purchasing and Alcohol Use in College Students

Session Title

Poster session

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Start Date

27-5-2026 12:00 AM

Abstract

Loot boxes are a form of monetization in video games that involve gaining random items for chance. Buying loot boxes is positively correlated with gambling behaviors (r = 0.33, Yokomitsu et al., 2021), and may be a potential gateway into future gambling for young individuals (Spicer et al., 2021). There is limited research on the extent to which loot box purchasing is related to other risky behaviors such as alcohol use, but one study found that drinking during gaming sessions was associated with increased loot box spending (East et al., 2024). The present study investigated risky loot box purchasing behaviors and alcohol in a sample of young adult college students (n=144, 63.3% male; 48.9% white) who reported past month video game play and interaction with loot boxes. Most students (63%) reported spending money on loot boxes in the past month, and those who did reported median monthly spending of $15.00 (75% reported spending less than $30/month). Higher scores on the Risky Loot Box Index were significantly correlated with higher scores on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT; r=0.21, p<.05). The majority (65%) of participants reported that they drank alcohol at least “sometimes” while playing video games in the past 2-weeks. Past 2-week drinking was also associated with monthly spending on loot boxes (r=.35, p<.01). These findings demonstrate a potential connection among alcohol use and risky loot box purchasing during gaming sessions.

Author Bios

Cassandra Grinstead is a 2nd year Clinical Psychology graduate student at Oregon State University. Her advisor is Dr. David C. R. Kerr. Her research topics include risk and protective factors for gambling, problem gaming, alcohol use, and other risky behaviors among youth and emerging adults. She graduated from the University of Arizona in 2020 with degrees in Psychology and Japanese. She aims to understand the intersection of problem gaming and other risky behaviors.

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May 27th, 12:00 AM

Risky Loot Box Purchasing and Alcohol Use in College Students

Loot boxes are a form of monetization in video games that involve gaining random items for chance. Buying loot boxes is positively correlated with gambling behaviors (r = 0.33, Yokomitsu et al., 2021), and may be a potential gateway into future gambling for young individuals (Spicer et al., 2021). There is limited research on the extent to which loot box purchasing is related to other risky behaviors such as alcohol use, but one study found that drinking during gaming sessions was associated with increased loot box spending (East et al., 2024). The present study investigated risky loot box purchasing behaviors and alcohol in a sample of young adult college students (n=144, 63.3% male; 48.9% white) who reported past month video game play and interaction with loot boxes. Most students (63%) reported spending money on loot boxes in the past month, and those who did reported median monthly spending of $15.00 (75% reported spending less than $30/month). Higher scores on the Risky Loot Box Index were significantly correlated with higher scores on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT; r=0.21, p<.05). The majority (65%) of participants reported that they drank alcohol at least “sometimes” while playing video games in the past 2-weeks. Past 2-week drinking was also associated with monthly spending on loot boxes (r=.35, p<.01). These findings demonstrate a potential connection among alcohol use and risky loot box purchasing during gaming sessions.