Research informing real-world policy

I am delighted to share an important milestone in the impact of my research on loot boxes and their use among children and adolescents.

On 15^th October 2026, the Brazilian Ministry of Justice published Technical Note No. 55/2026, an official government document examining the implementation and enforcement of Brazil’s new law, the Digital Child and Adolescent Statute (Law No. 15,211/2025, known as ECA Digital).

Two studies (see Study 1 and Study 2) I co-authored on loot boxes have been cited in this document, which reviews scientific evidence on the potential risks associated with loot boxes and considers measures to strengthen the protection of young people in digital gaming environments.

In my view, this is an important example of how academic research can extend beyond scholarly publications to inform government assessments and regulatory action. It also shows the importance of safeguarding funding for independent research on gaming and gambling.

What is the new ECA Digital law and why does it matter?

Brazil’s Digital Child and Adolescent Statute (Law No. 15,211/2025) establishes protections for children and adolescents in digital environments. Among its provisions, Article 20 prohibits loot boxes in electronic games aimed at children and adolescents or likely to be accessed by them, according to the applicable age-rating framework.

Loot boxes are virtual items or features in video games that provide randomised rewards. Depending on the game, players may spend money to obtain these rewards without knowing precisely what they will receive in advance.

My own previous research (see Raneri et al. (2022)) and that of other colleagues raised concerns about the potential relationship between loot box purchases and problem gambling, psychological distress, impulsive spending, and other adverse outcomes. These findings have contributed to wider international discussions regarding the appropriate regulation of loot boxes, particularly where children and adolescents are concerned (see Spritzer et al. (2026) and Xiao et al. (2023) for an example).

The new ECA Digital law represents a significant development in Brazil’s approach to digital child protection, placing restrictions on access to loot boxes rather than relying exclusively on warnings or the disclosure of reward probabilities.

Contributing to this discussion with research efforts

The citation of the two studies I co-authored in the Ministry of Justice’s Technical Note is a good example of how research can reach audiences beyond academia.

The document draws on scientific evidence to assess the potential risks associated with loot boxes and to inform the implementation of the new legislation. The inclusion of these two studies (and others from other colleagues) in this assessment demonstrates their relevance to an active public policy and regulatory discussion.

What we did in our two studies

In our first study: Loot boxes in Spanish adolescents and young adults: Relationship with internet gaming disorder and online gambling disorder, we investigated the prevalence of loot box purchases among young people aged 11–30 and their association with Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and Online Gambling Disorder (OGD). Using data from 6,633 participants, we found that 30.4% had purchased a loot box in the previous 12 months, including 28.9% of minors. Participants who had purchased loot boxes were 3.66 times as likely to present indicators of IGD and 4.85 times as likely to present indicators of OGD, highlighting a significant association between loot box purchasing and problematic gaming and gambling behaviours. Overall, our study adds evidence to concerns about the gambling-like nature of loot boxes, particularly among minors.

In our second study: Loot box purchases and their relationship with internet gaming disorder and online gambling disorder in adolescents: A prospective study, we investigated the stability of loot box purchasing among adolescents and its relationship with online gambling and indicators of OGD and IGD. Using a longitudinal design, we followed 2,213 Spanish adolescents aged 11–17 across two time points six months apart. The findings showed that loot box purchasing was both prevalent and relatively stable over the six-month period, suggesting that it is an established behaviour among adolescents rather than a short-term phenomenon. The study also found a positive relationship between purchasing loot boxes and engaging in online gambling six months later, providing longitudinal evidence that loot box purchasing may precede or predict subsequent gambling behaviour. An important contribution of this study relates to its longitudinal design, which advances previous cross-sectional research by examining the temporal relationship between loot box purchasing and later gambling behaviour, highlighting the potential risks to adolescents while emphasising the need for further research to establish whether loot boxes contribute to the development of IGD or OGD.

The inclusion of these two studies in an official government technical document is particularly meaningful because it illustrates how empirical research can contribute to the evidence available to policymakers when assessing risks and considering regulatory responses.

Importantly, this does not mean that our two studies alone led to the legislation or determined the government’s position. Rather, their citation demonstrates that the research forms part of the scientific evidence being considered in the policy process.

From scientific evidence to regulatory action

The Technical Note does more than review the research literature. It also examines industry responses to the new legislation and recommends further regulatory monitoring.

Under Article 23 of Decree No. 12,880/2026, which regulates the implementation of the statute, game providers must prevent children and adolescents from accessing loot boxes. The framework provides alternative compliance routes, including offering a version without loot boxes or completely restricting access to the feature by default for users in Brazil.

The Ministry’s October 2026 assessment also requested that Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) consider prioritising the monitoring of games that may not have implemented adequate age-verification measures.

These developments illustrate the practical relevance of research on loot boxes, which informs assessments of potential harm, supports regulatory scrutiny, and contributes to discussions about how digital environments can better protect younger users.

Why this matters for research impact

Research impact is not limited to academic citations, journal publications or conference presentations. It can also be seen in how research informs public institutions, contributes to policy discussions, and helps decision-makers evaluate real-world problems.

The citation of our two studies in an official Brazilian government document provides a concrete example of this broader form of impact, demonstrating three important aspects of the research’s reach:

• Policy relevance: the findings are relevant to a government assessment of loot boxes and the protection of children and adolescents.
• Knowledge exchange: academic evidence is reaching policymakers and public authorities outside the university environment.
• Potential societal benefit: the research is contributing to an evidence base used to assess regulatory approaches intended to reduce potential harms to young people.

The citation and consideration of our research in an official technical note document like this one is a meaningful indicator of policy engagement and research uptake.

Looking ahead

I am pleased to see my research on loot boxes contributing to an important international discussion about children’s rights, digital safety and the responsibilities of the video game industry.

As games increasingly incorporate complex monetisation systems, independent research remains important for understanding how these systems affect different groups of players and for helping policymakers assess the evidence behind proposed interventions.

I hope this work will continue to contribute to informed discussions about loot boxes and the development of digital environments that better protect children and adolescents.

I am grateful to everyone involved in the research we conducted in our two studies. A special thanks to Prof. Joaquín Manuel González-Cabrera and Prof. Juan M. Machimbarrena for the collaborations over the last few years.

See you soon!

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