Posted at 5:00 am.
Introducing a 9 year old girl to the casino? The idea would never occur to Shanon Pasquier. But since her daughter explored the limitless world of free mobile games, she’s noticed that the industry doesn’t have the same concerns.
“Maya loves the game Shining Anime Star, which lets her dress up dolls in virtual clothes. But to get more choice, she has to look at integrated advertisements that also offer real lottery games for adults. »
The Montreal artist and volunteer’s experience confirms an unprecedented survey1 in Quebec of 249 free games offered to children – whether they are 2, 4 or 10 years old – in mobile device app stores.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Downloaded millions of times, the free mobile game Shining Anime Star (developed in China and rated for everyone on the PlayStore and 4+ on the AppStore) invited a child to install a real lottery game for adults. It rewards small players who log in daily.
In a thousand ways, the lines between these games and those of gambling and money are blurred, even though they are banned for minors, noted with dismay researcher Maude Bonenfant, holder of the Canada Research Chair in Big Data and Communities.
In many cases, their designs overlap so much that they produce “the same biochemical reactions and cognitive effects.” “It’s a new form of gambling!” We need to quickly expand the scope of the laws,” demands the professor who teaches at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM).
His team will soon launch a website called JE(UX)! start to expose in words and disturbing images this maneuver called “gambling”, which is increasingly denounced around the world.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Researcher Maude Bonenfant, holder of the Canada Research Chair in Big Data and Gaming Communities
The worst games are sometimes very cute, so don’t be suspicious. But that’s crazy; We raise children to be addicted! We encourage compulsive practice in small, developing brains that cannot yet control themselves. This is a major public health problem.
Maude Bonenfant, professor at UQAM
She said the 249 applications examined were “largely” programmed to manipulate the minds and emotions of small players so that they only thought about getting their reward, completing their collection or completing their mission. This forces them to increase the number of game returns, impulse purchases and exposure to advertising – often intrusive and sometimes very inappropriate.
SCREENSHOTS PROVIDED BY THE CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR FOR BIG DATA AND GAMING COMMUNITIES
Left: YatzyCash advertising in the children’s game Gummy Bear Run Endless. YatzyCash allows you to “play free cash games to win real money” but is rated 4+ on the AppStore. Right, interactive advertisement from the CanPlay real money casino, seen in the Aquarium Land fishing game.
SCREENSHOTS PROVIDED BY THE CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR FOR BIG DATA AND GAMING COMMUNITIES
Links advertising the game Nine Casino in the game Zoo-Happy Animals (for 9+ or teenagers). On the right, promotional video in the game Cyber Surfer: EDM & Skateboard (from 4 years or teenagers).
SCREENSHOTS PROVIDED BY THE CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR FOR BIG DATA AND GAMING COMMUNITIES
Ads seen in DeepClean Inc. 3D game (for everyone or 12+). However, the announced game is aimed at young people aged 17 and over and glorifies the video lottery (see capsule at the end of the text).
SCREENSHOT PROVIDED BY THE CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR FOR BIG DATA AND GAMING COMMUNITIES
Banner of DoubleDown Casino, an “intense simulated gambling” game featured in the toddler game TooToo: Talking Baby Boy. However, the advertised application is aimed at young people or 17+.
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To firmly anchor themselves in children’s minds and habits, many games rewarded the simple act of connecting.
The applications examined usually had millions of users. More than 80% were classified as “for all” or “4+”. Several featured worlds popular with children such as HelloKitty, Barbie, LEGO or Paw Patrol. And about 30% had a “teacher approved” rating.
Who interacts with a smartphone?
- 49% of children aged 0 to 2 years
- 62% of children aged 3 and 4 years
Source: Pew Research Center, 2020
Who plays on mobile platforms?
- 49% of girls aged 6 to 12
- 31% of boys of the same age
Source: Entertainment Software Association of Canada, 2020
“Despite everything, very few are safe for children,” says Ms. Bonenfant. When they throw a tantrum to make a connection, parents find it excessive because they don’t understand the perversity of the persuasion mechanisms in place. » (See other text.)
Despite the age rating, more than one in four games analyzed used one or more of the particularly addictive “mechanics” that are at the heart of gambling and gambling. As the first bet to participate and as a result dependent on chance.
IMAGE LIMEBOLT INC. IN THE APP STORE
Casino machines transform into friendly characters in the Happy Street game. That explains its inclusion on the Australian Council for Children and Media’s (very well-done) children’s and gambling watchlist.
GAMBLINGSITES.ORG IMAGE AND SCREENSHOT TAKEN BY THE PRESS DURING THE GAME
Although the game Bejeweled Blitz (right) is rated 4+ and “Favorite” in the App Store, it copies the screen of a real video lottery game (left). According to Australian Watchlist, it also allows you to spend real money to play lottery roulette.
SCREENSHOTS PROVIDED BY THE CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR FOR BIG DATA AND GAMING COMMUNITIES
The Gummy Bear Endless Running harvest game (right) sometimes offers children the opportunity to spin the lottery wheel. While the rows of symbols from the famous game Candy Crush Saga (left) are reminiscent of “slot machines”.
PRESS SCREENSHOT DURING THE MATCH
The game “Hello Kitty World 2” invites little ones to spin lottery wheels for a fee and win random prizes.
IMAGE PHANTOM EFX, INC. IN THE APP STORE
The Gold Fish Casino Slots Games game on the Play Store is suitable for teenagers, but contains animals designed to appeal to school children. It says: “Import a casino to the palm of your hand” to “play slots anytime, anywhere.”
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Every fifth application has borrowed the thunderous sounds or images of casinos: lucky roulette, slot machines, scratch cards, dice, etc. Not forgetting chests with mysterious contents – so-called “loot boxes” – the purchase of which ruins countless players because they are overwhelmed by the excitement of get intoxicated by a possible win. These excesses, which generate tens of billions of dollars for the industry, have led to collective action but few tightening of laws.
$3000 on mom and dad’s credit card
Because not all young people have the same fragility, many (like Maya) do not allow themselves to be trapped, observes Marie-Josée Michaud, clinical specialist at Le Grand Chemin youth treatment center in Quebec.
“But exposing a child to symbols of ‘gambling’ – such as coins spinning and making noise – is a serious breach of industry ethics. There is a risk of forming a habit and a craving. The day the young person gets their own credit card could make the jump to Poker Stars easier. »
Not to mention, free apps with their all-too-easy winnings can cause young people to overestimate their chances of winning at real casinos, reinforcing this irrational belief. “Swimming in surprises, gifts, rewards, freebies and automatic rewards,” promises, for example Gold Fish Casino slots games offered for teenagers.
Kids are already succumbing to the temptation of stringing together $0.99, $6.99, $27.99, $159.99 microtransactions… “It’s not uncommon for people to call me because they’ve spent $3,000 on their credit cards Parents who had not blocked payments on their phones. “, reports Ms. Michaud.
Extreme case: During a holiday break, a family let a 10-year-old boy play online as much as he wanted because they thought it would bore him. “Instead, he ended up in hospital, on the verge of sleep-induced psychosis. He played, played, played and could no longer meet his basic needs. Because 15 minutes of showering was 15 minutes of wasted time. He was sure the gamble would “pay off” and was afraid of missing the moment. »
For Professor Maude Bonenfant, Quebec must “quickly expand the legal definition of gambling and gambling to include new methods of gaming”2. And apply the law that already bans commercial advertising to under-13s on all media.
We mandate bicycle helmets and car benches, but we do a very poor job of protecting children by condoning such games.
Maude Bonenfant, professor at UQAM
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, no one has yet filed a complaint about targeted advertising to children in free mobile games. But the organization invites parents who discover it to contact them. “ [Nos] Monitoring measures can be carried out on your own initiative without objection. “That could be the case in a case like this,” adds spokesman Charles Tanguay, pointing out that the office cannot comment on specific situations in the media.
Since the Ministry of Finance (responsible for the law on the Régie des alcohols, des courses et des jeux) has not read the study, which will be published shortly, it wrote to us that it was difficult to determine whether the games examined were “games of “represent coincidence prohibited by the Criminal Code.
La Presse wrote (October 3) and called (October 4) the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, which represents the video game industry, for comment. She didn’t respond to our messages.
1. “The mechanics of gambling and money in free mobile games for children: From an economic model to addiction conditioning”, approved for publication by the journal Drugs, Health and Society, Maude Bonenfant and Alexandra Dumont, professor and doctoral student in communication at UQAM, respectively
2. This definition currently requires a player to be able to cash out their winnings in “real life”. It cannot be counterfeit money that has no value in the real world.
Inappropriate advertising and unreliable ratings
Children’s games often appear full-screen, non-closable advertisements and a variety of very disturbing banners to encourage teenagers to download other, sometimes inappropriate, applications. For example, one ad invited fans of a virtual cleaning game (Deep Clean Inc. 3D Fun Cleanup, rated for all or 12+ in app stores) to explore the world of scantily clad girls of College Love Game. As shown above in the long version of this ad (from YouTube), they stand in front of video lottery machines and dollar-spitting wheels. Or say, “I just had a dream where you and I were in the bathtub, we… it was so good”; “If you want to have pleasure, I am burning with desire”; “I don’t like sweets, but I would eat you.” Researcher Maude Bonenfant complains that the age ratings assigned by the industry are also inconsistent, often finding them vague or misleading. For example, among “teacher-approved” games, 83% had purchases, 63% had ads, and 16% had loot boxes. “The rating is about the content – violence, swearing, sexuality – without regard to how the game works, even if it aims to negatively influence behavior.” It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for parents to navigate . »
Learn more
25% proportion of analyzed games in which the outcome of the game or obtaining a win depends on chance
Source: Canada Research Chair in Big Data and Gaming Communities
19% proportion of games analyzed that used images related to gambling and gambling
Source: Canada Research Chair in Big Data and Gaming Communities
18% proportion of games analyzed that required a stake of real or symbolic money
Source: Canada Research Chair in Big Data and Gaming Communities
3% share of youth in Quebec suffering from cyber addiction before the pandemic
Source: Game: Help and Reference