Children have increasingly been exposed to gambling via game mechanics, and this has become a significant challenge in the United States and other parts of the world (Derevensky, Hayman & Gilbeau, 2019). The use of loot boxes has played a substantial role in manipulating children by use of random rewards that makes them addicted to the game. The gaming reward system has a decreased probability of getting particular items, which implies that the players are required to secure an unknown number of loot boxes to access the items. Another restriction found in this game is that no direct financial return when the transaction is made. This indicates that the players are impotent in recovering money disbursed in an activity despite the game's outcome. In this speech, I am going to address how gaming and gambling are converging, the increased risk of gambling that is exposed to children through video games and recommends the policies and measures that need to be taken to prevent these gaming threats.
The concepts of gaming and gambling are elements that are converging. Children have increasingly involved themselves in video gaming, which requires typically strategic and skillful play to be able to achieve an interactive playable form of digital entertainment. In the present day, video gaming has drastically changed because of advanced industry innovations of the gaming systems, which include the design applications, online infrastructure, and gaming hardware (McBride & Derevensky, 2017) . Additionally, since 2007, the video gaming market has increased online connectivity options whereby the children have a larger application of smartphones as a gaming platform. Many known video games are becoming financially involved due to loot boxes that use random virtual goods, and these systems are attracting attention as potential forms of gambling. The convergence of video games and gambling is manifesting itself in terms of encouraging gaming that stimulates gambling whereby money is indirectly involved, monetizing video games by enabling illegitimate gambling on external platforms, promotion of gambling through video games by gambling operators on collective media, and introducing gambling in different competitive gaming occasions. Therefore, in the contemporary world, gaming and gambling are viewed as separate activities, but they contain many aspects in common to confuse the youths and children. For instance, gambling and video gaming require interactivity, skill elements, presentational qualities, and chance.
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Various things are triggering children to be exposed to gambling-like content via online games. One of the aspects is the exposure of digital media and its allied technologies, which have become integrated in individuals lives and used in all institutional domains. Gambling companies and software sales companies such as Steam have been allowed to use loot boxes and other video games to manipulate children into gambling. Most parents have allowed children to use their electronic devices such as mobile phones without strict restriction measures. This insinuates that children can access video games at any time and play when interested. The children are slowly introduced to gambling without realizing it through playing online games that contain elements of chance and randomness. Specifically, children between the age of 13 to 15 years are at-risk of gambling in the United States. In this perspective, they have increasingly being exposed to three main gambling products, such as skin gambling, fantasy sports, as well as online casino practice modes. The exposure to gambling-like elements via gaming will have long-term consequences for children. In this regard, stimulated gambling may escalate children's confidence in gambling as a result of the relative ease of winning in these activities. Another consequence that participating in gambling-like gaming may have on children is triggering entry in gambling subculture that possesses avenues for advancement to monetary gambling (Bestman et al., 2016) . Through gambling-like gaming, the children are exposed to increased interface with a collective network of peers where they encounter gamblers that offer enticements to gamble. Finally, gaming children are encouraged to covert and excessively practice gambling activities.
The policies involved in the marketing of online games and gambling need to be improved to hinder the chances of children to participate in gambling. The loot boxes being introduced into games should never be sold to anybody below 18 years. Notably, advertising for video games that contain gambling-like contents is quite prevalent and is visible on social media platforms as well as entertainment streaming. These advertisements are paid for to promote social influences. For instance, the promotion of eSports has triggered the crossover of gaming and gambling products whereby existing and on-coming gambling operators encourage betting via eSports broadcasts and related content (Holden, Kaburakis & Rodenberg, 2018). These advertisements make the adolescents become familiar with the promotions and subsequently develop positive gambling attitudes. I, therefore, suggest that the policies underlying the marketing of video games and gambling-like gaming be re-establish to incorporate strict measures that hinder children from being exposed to the risks of gambling. For instance, before any gaming advertisement is made, the state should look closely at the contents being sold and eliminate those that promote even the slightest elements of gambling. Adult gamblers who influence children in participating in gaming like gambling should face strict law consequences. Unregulated product marketing of stimulated gambling on websites and other platforms, which boost children's demand for gambling products, should be wholly eradicated.
I would urge the parents to play a dynamic role in preventing children from being exposed to online gaming that facilitates gambling. Those children who perceive more parental caring and monitoring have fewer chances of being introduced to problem gambling. Peer influences is an aspect that affects online gaming behavior, and parents should contribute in controlling the peer gambling involvement (Soh et al., 2018). Through online gaming, the children often want to ensure that their game progression is in line with their peers, and thus, the parents should investigate any exposure to gambling-like contents and restrict the children. Moreover, the parents should know that one of the elements that help in preventing children from involving in simulated gambling is to avoid spending money on microtransactions. Increased parental supervision would encourage the children to have less access to gambling activities and less exposure to promotions such as eSports (Zhao, 2017). Such restrictions are fruitful in hindering problematic use and future engagement in online gambling activities.
The gambling commissions and other stakeholders should monitor closely all the gaming-gambling systems (Abarbanel, 2018) . Since some gambling products may not be advertised on social pages, the gambling commissions should be able to identify any video game brand awareness and any display of gambling operators' logo. An independent review should be facilitated to investigate any configuration of a gambling-like gaming system for underage users. The gambling commission has a critical role to play in encouraging parents to monitor their children's gaming systems. For instance, since multiple parents are unfamiliar with emerging areas of convergence of gaming and gambling, the commission should develop quality education programs that help the parents to learn about the range of online activities accessible by children. The parents should also learn how these gaming activities are accessed, financed, and promoted on social media platforms to assist them in coming up with effective restriction measures for their children.
Conclusion
As I conclude, the adults should help the children to understand that gaming and gambling industries are mainly businesses that are structured to make profits. Moreover, the children should be informed that most of the online operators are unregulated and possess no player protections. This would encourage children to exercise critical thinking on gaming issues, and use their time more effectively in productive activities than being tempted to engage in gambling activities. The state, parents, gaming, and gambling commissions have an essential role to play in preventing children from being involved in the risk of gambling activities. This can only be done through monitoring the children's gaming activities and setting strict measures that hinder them from accessing any gambling-like contents. The re-established state laws and policies should subject gambling operators in fatal consequences on involving children to gambling-like gaming.
References
Abarbanel, B. (2018). Gambling vs. gaming: A commentary on the role of regulatory, industry, and community stakeholders in the loot box debate. Gaming Law Review , 22 (4), 231-234.
Bestman, A., Thomas, S., Randle, M., Pitt, H., Daube, M., & Pettigrew, S. (2016). Shaping pathways to gambling consumption? An analysis of the promotion of gambling and non-gambling activities from gambling venues. Addiction Research & Theory , 24 (2), 152-162.
Derevensky, J. L., Hayman, V., & Gilbeau, L. (2019). Behavioral Addictions: Excessive Gambling, Gaming, Internet, and Smartphone Use Among Children and Adolescents. Pediatric Clinics , 66 (6), 1163-1182.
Holden, J. T., Kaburakis, A., & Rodenberg, R. M. (2018). Esports: Children, stimulants, and video‐gaming‐induced inactivity. Journal of pediatrics and child health , 54 (8), 830-831.
McBride, J., & Derevensky, J. (2017). Gambling and video game playing among youth. Journal of Gambling Issues , (34).
Soh, P. C. H., Chew, K. W., Koay, K. Y., & Ang, P. H. (2018). Parents vs. peers' influence on teenagers' Internet addiction and risky online activities. Telematics and Informatics , 35 (1), 225-236.
Zhao, Y. (2017). Adolescent Multiple Engagement in Addictive Behaviors and the Role of Parents (Doctoral dissertation, McGill University Libraries).
