Warning to Parents from Denmark: The Risk of Loot Boxes

Denmark's gambling regulator, Spillemyndigheden, has launched a new campaign to help parents notice gambling-like features in games their children play. The campaign, called "Casino in the Children's Room," aims to move the conversation about children's gaming habits beyond screen time and toward the content and mechanics of games.

The topics the regulator highlights include loot boxes, random reward systems, and in-app purchases. The regulator says these mechanics are common in many games aimed at young audiences. Anders Dorph, the head of the agency, said parents should pay attention not only to how long their children spend playing, but also to the systems they encounter during play.

As part of the campaign, a short film was produced. In the film, a child's room is turned into a casino. Three temporary shop windows were also set up in Aarhus, Odense and Copenhagen. The windows were named "Casino Kids." Parents are directed to the StyrPåSpillet.dk website, which offers guidance on games and gambling addiction.

Other countries have also raised similar concerns. A report published last year by Sweden's gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, stated that 87 percent of people who bought loot boxes before the age of 15 showed risky gambling behavior in adulthood.

The Danish government has also resubmitted proposed rules on gambling advertising to Parliament. The proposal would ban people under 25 from appearing in gambling advertisements and stop gambling marketing during live sports broadcasts. The rules are planned to be introduced in stages between January and October 2027.