Loot boxes and in-game spending: help when gaming starts to feel like gambling

Please read this first

If you’ve spent money meant for bills, borrowed, or used someone else’s card to keep buying loot boxes, packs or in-game currency, please talk to someone today. If your spending has spilled into gambling for money, the National Gambling Helpline is free, confidential and open 24 hours on 0808 8020 133.

When money spirals it can feel like there’s no way out. If you’re thinking about ending your life, please call Samaritans free on 116 123, open around the clock. Call 999 if your life is at risk now.

Loot boxes, card packs, gacha pulls and mystery crates all work the same way: you pay, and you don’t know what you’ll get. Most players buy the odd one and move on. For some, the hope of a rare item turns into opening one after another, topping up again and spending far more than they meant to on a game they love.

This page is for adults whose in-game spending feels out of control, or who notice it’s starting to feel like gambling. If the time you spend playing is the bigger issue, see my page on video game addiction, and for betting with money, see my gambling page.

In the UK, loot boxes aren’t regulated as gambling. In 2022 the government decided not to bring them under gambling law, mainly because the rewards usually can’t be legitimately cashed out for money. It said research had found a link between buying loot boxes and problem gambling, although not that one causes the other (DCMS, 2022). In 2023 the games industry published guidance that includes stopping under 18s from buying paid loot boxes without a parent’s consent or knowledge and giving clear information on the odds. The government says it will keep possible future laws under review (DCMS, 2023).

If you’re under 18 and this is about you, please tell a parent, carer or another adult you trust what you’ve been spending, even if it feels awkward. Childline is free to call on 0800 1111. If you’re 13 or over, live in England and your gaming feels out of control, you can refer yourself to the NHS National Centre for Gaming Disorders. I only work with adults, so the consultation on this page isn’t for you.

Signs in-game spending has become a problem

Spending more than you planned, often in small top-ups that add up
Opening one loot box or pack after another, chasing a rare item
Feeling a rush while a box opens, and flat or annoyed afterwards
Buying late at night, or when you’re stressed or bored
Hiding what you spend, or being shocked when you check your statements
Borrowing, using credit or dipping into bill money to keep buying

Where to get help with in-game spending in the UK

Your GP. A confidential place to start, especially if gaming or spending is affecting your mood, sleep or money.
The NHS National Centre for Gaming Disorders. Specialist help in England for people aged 13 and over who find their gaming hard to control. You can refer yourself, and family members and professionals can refer too. Find out more from the centre
The National Gambling Helpline. Run by GamCare, free and open 24 hours on 0808 8020 133, for anyone affected by gambling, including friends and family. Use it if your spending has spilled into gambling for money.
Spending controls. Consoles, phones and gaming platforms let you set spending limits and remove saved payment details. The government’s position is that all players should have access to spending controls and know about them.
Debt advice. StepChange and National Debtline (0808 808 4000) give free, confidential debt advice.

Where hypnotherapy fits

Hypnotherapy is not a treatment for gaming disorder or gambling addiction, and I don’t offer it as one. Your GP, the NHS gaming centre or the services above need to be part of your recovery.

Where I can help is alongside that care. In-game spending often follows a pattern: a new season or event, a late night, a bad day that a rare pull might fix. Sessions can focus on stress, sleep, confidence and the routines around playing. Keeping to the limits you set is your work, and sessions are there to back you while you do it.

Before we work together I’ll ask whether you’re getting support from your GP or one of these services. If I think you need that first, I’ll tell you honestly.

If you’re worried about a child’s spending

I work with adults, so I don’t see children or teenagers for this. If you’re a parent, start with the parental controls on your child’s console, phone and game accounts. Ask About Games, a campaign run by the UK games industry body Ukie, has step-by-step guides to setting up controls, and its Power Up Pact helps families agree time and spending limits together. Games with paid random items, like loot boxes or card packs, can carry an extra notice next to the PEGI in-game purchases label.

Government guidance expects games companies to make £0 spending limits the default on child accounts, and to apply lenient refunds when parental controls or age checks haven’t stopped a child buying loot boxes, so if your child has spent without your permission, contact the platform or game company. For 13 to 16 year olds whose gaming feels out of control, the NHS National Centre for Gaming Disorders also supports parents.

How to stop spending on loot boxes: things that help day to day

Take your card out of the game. Remove saved payment details from consoles, app stores and launchers, so every purchase takes effort.
Set a hard limit. Use the platform’s spending limit, even £0 for a while, and ask someone you trust to hold the password if that helps.
Read the odds. Where a game shows the chances of each item, look at them before you buy. Seeing how unlikely the rare drop is can take some heat out of the urge.
Switch off shop notifications. Limited-time offers and countdowns can push you to buy before you’ve thought it through.
Add up the last three months. Check your app store or account history. The total often surprises people, and it’s a useful number to keep in mind.
Play without the shop for a while. Try a week where you play but don’t buy, and notice how the urge changes.

Common questions

Are loot boxes gambling in the UK?

Not in law. In 2022 the government decided not to regulate loot boxes as gambling, mainly because the rewards usually can’t be legitimately cashed out for money. It did note research finding a link between loot box spending and problem gambling, and it relies on industry guidance to protect players while keeping new laws under review.

When does in-game spending become gambling-like?

There’s no single line, but warning signs include paying again and again for a chance at a rare item, chasing what you missed, spending more than you can afford and hiding it. If it feels like gambling to you, it’s worth treating it seriously and talking to someone.

Is it confidential?

Yes. What you tell me stays between us. As with any therapist, the only exception is if I believed you or someone else were at serious risk of harm.

I’m worried about someone else’s spending. What can I do?

If it’s an adult, try to talk when you’re both calm rather than in the middle of an argument about money, and point them towards their GP or the NHS National Centre for Gaming Disorders. If it’s your child, see the section above on parental controls and refunds. If gambling for money is involved, the National Gambling Helpline supports friends and family too.

Talk it through

If you’re already getting support and want help alongside it, book a £49 consultation call. We’ll talk about what’s happening and whether sessions could help with the stress, sleep and habits around your spending. We meet one to one on Zoom, and afterwards you get a recording of the hypnosis. See all session options and prices.

Book a consultation (£49)

Written by Adam Cox, clinical hypnotherapist. Sources: DCMS, government response to the call for evidence on loot boxes, 2022; DCMS, loot boxes update on industry-led protections, 2023; CNWL, NHS National Centre for Gaming Disorders; GamCare; Ask About Games; PEGI; StepChange; National Debtline; Samaritans. Checked October 2026.