Poppleston Allen DCMS Review of Skins Gambling


Game developers and publishers will be keeping a keen eye on the continued conversation around skins gambling, which has come to the forefront in recent months due to the DCMS report from late September this year.


IMOGEN MOSS


Associate Solicitor Poppleston Allen


gambling under the


38 Skins spotlight


The use of in-game purchases, and how these are wagered, are once again in the crosshairs following the DCMS’ rapid evidence review of skins gambling. Imogen Moss, associate solicitor at licensing law firm


Poppleston Allen, breaks down the detail.


Te report, authored by researchers from Nottingham Trent University, looks at the scope and prevalence of skins gambling and its impact on users, most notably younger people who are deemed to be more susceptible to gambling-related harm. It draws on different strands of research, including analytical data from websites offering skins gambling, a structured audit of those platforms and a systematic review of academic literature.


Several key findings are highlighted in the report such as: u


Over-50 skins gambling websites were accessible from the UK with the most popular sites generating more traffic in a month than well- known and well-established traditional online betting websites.


u


Tose aged 11 – 14 were more than twice as likely to take part in skins gambling than 22-24-year-olds. Te report states that there is a concerning pattern across the research regarding the extent that children and young people participate in skins gambling.


u


Many of the games resembled those which can be found in traditional gambling formats. Tere were types of gameplay identified that included “Several known harmful gaming features were identified, including near miss mechanics, losses disguised as wins, and high event frequency (rapid speed of play).


Furthermore, many of the contemporary skins gambling games have design features that promote the illusion of control, such as allowing players to set the risk-profile of games and to make in-game decisions despite the pre-determined outcome.”


While skins are typically designed to be cosmetic enhancements to enrich gameplay and player identity, the tradability and value of these items have essentially transformed them into being able to be used as a currency for gambling. Tis is not just a by-product of player behaviour but is also facilitated by platforms that sit outside of the actual games themselves.


In a position paper published in 2017 by the regulatory body for gambling in Great Britain, the Gambling Commission, it stated “In our view, the ability to convert in game items into cash or trade them (for other items of value), means they attain a real-world value and


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