{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,1]],"date-time":"2026-05-01T14:35:09Z","timestamp":1777646109638,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":64,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,31]],"date-time":"2023-05-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1685491200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Games and Culture"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Over the past decade, videogames have become increasingly gambling-like in their design. Scientific and regulatory attempts to unravel such design seem particularly oriented towards the effects and regulatory treatment of paid-for loot boxes, favoring either measurability or complexity. Departing from gamble-play theory, this paper, therefore, attempts to make complexity measurable in practice. We conduct a formal analysis of 20 videogames that include loot boxes, social casino games, optional gambling-themed activities and token wagering by identifying and mapping interactions between their features. Having uncovered 51 features across 11 categories, we then reinterpret previously established notions of gambling. In doing so, we aim to contribute to a future-proof understanding of gambling in videogames.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/15554120231175615","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,1]],"date-time":"2023-06-01T02:45:28Z","timestamp":1685587528000},"page":"695-721","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Making Complexity Measurable in Practice: A Formal Analysis of Gamble-Play media"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7129-2528","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maarten","family":"Denoo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Media Studies\/Meaningful Interactions Lab, KU Leuven Humanities and Social Sciences Group, Leuven, Belgium"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bruno","family":"Dupont","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Media Studies\/Meaningful Interactions Lab, KU Leuven Humanities and Social Sciences Group, Leuven, Belgium"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bieke","family":"Zaman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Media Studies\/Meaningful Interactions Lab, KU Leuven Humanities and Social Sciences Group, Leuven, Belgium"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Eva","family":"Grosemans","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Media Studies\/Meaningful Interactions Lab, KU Leuven Humanities and Social Sciences Group, Leuven, Belgium"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Steven","family":"Malliet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Inter-Actions Research Unit, LUCA School of Arts, Genk, Belgium"},{"name":"Antwerp Media in Society Centre, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7238\/a.v0i7.763"},{"key":"bibr2-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/14459795.2020.1766097"},{"key":"bibr3-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4324\/9780203730690"},{"key":"bibr4-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.31234\/osf.io\/xeckb"},{"key":"bibr5-15554120231175615","volume-title":"Persuasive games: The expressive power of videogames","author":"Bogost I.","year":"2010"},{"key":"bibr6-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1469540521993904"},{"key":"bibr7-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4324\/9780203718872"},{"key":"bibr8-15554120231175615","unstructured":"Ceci L. (2022).\n                      Number of apps available in leading app stores Q3\n                      2022. Statista. https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/276623\/number-of-apps-available-in-leading-app-stores\/"},{"key":"bibr9-15554120231175615","unstructured":"Clement J. (2022).\n                      Google Play: Number of available games by quarter\n                      2022. Statista. https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/780229\/number-of-available-gaming-apps-in-the-google-play-store-quarter\/"},{"key":"bibr11a-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/15295036.2017.1304648"},{"key":"bibr10-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5040\/9781501347283.0007"},{"key":"bibr11-15554120231175615","volume-title":"Uncertainty in games","author":"Costikyan G.","year":"2013"},{"key":"bibr12-15554120231175615","first-page":"83","volume":"94","author":"Davidovici-Nora M.","year":"2014","journal-title":"Communications & Strategies"},{"key":"bibr13-15554120231175615","unstructured":"Declerck P., Feci N. (2022). \u2018Mapping and analysis of the current regulatory framework on gambling(-like) elements in videogames \u2013 a report in the framework of the \u2018Gam(e)(a)ble\u2019 research project\u2019."},{"key":"bibr14-15554120231175615","volume-title":"DiGRA\u201920-Abstract Proceedings of the 2020 DiGRA International Conference","author":"Deterding C. S.","year":"2020"},{"issue":"1","key":"bibr15-15554120231175615","first-page":"4","volume":"4","author":"Dupont B.","year":"2021","journal-title":"Acta Ludologica"},{"key":"bibr16-15554120231175615","unstructured":"EA Swiss Sarl & Electronic Arts. (2021).\n                      FIFA22\n                      . PlayStation 4 and 5."},{"key":"bibr17-15554120231175615","volume-title":"Hooked: How to build habit-forming products","author":"Eyal N.","year":"2014"},{"key":"bibr18-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/14459795.2014.890634"},{"key":"bibr19-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1555412018755914"},{"key":"bibr20-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0140-1971(91)90045-S"},{"key":"bibr21-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s40429-017-0162-y"},{"issue":"1","key":"bibr22-15554120231175615","first-page":"1722","volume-title":"Proceedings of the AAAI workshop on challenges in game AI","volume":"4","author":"Hunicke R."},{"key":"bibr23-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1386\/jgvw_00011_1"},{"key":"bibr24-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10899-009-9153-9"},{"key":"bibr25-15554120231175615","volume-title":"Online Gaming and Gambling in Children and Adolescents-Normalising Gambling in Cyber Places: A Review of the Literature","author":"King D. 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(2021).\n                      A Whole New Ball Game: The growing prevalence of video game-related gambling\n                      . https:\/\/trepo.tuni.fi\/bitstream\/handle\/10024\/135299\/978-952-03-2191-8.pdf?sequence=2"},{"key":"bibr31-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-82767-0_11"},{"key":"bibr11b-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/14614448221083903"},{"key":"bibr32-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/3359183"},{"key":"bibr33-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4135\/9781446214572"},{"key":"bibr34-15554120231175615","unstructured":"[MBMMaverick]. (2017, November 12). Seriously? I paid 80$ to have Vader locked? [Online forum post].\n                      Reddit\n                      . https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/StarWarsBattlefront\/comments\/7cff0b\/comment\/dppum98?st=JH2MUORV&sh=5997c5a5"},{"key":"bibr35-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-53483-7_8"},{"key":"bibr36-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm10102103"},{"issue":"3","key":"bibr37-15554120231175615","first-page":"171","volume":"4","author":"Nielsen R. K. L.","year":"2018","journal-title":"ToDiGRA (Online)"},{"key":"bibr38-15554120231175615","unstructured":"Parke J., Wardle H., Rigbye J., Parke A. (2012).\n                      Exploring social gambling: Scoping, classification and evidence review\n                      ."},{"key":"bibr39-15554120231175615","unstructured":"PEGI. (n.d.).\n                      What do the labels mean?\n                      . https:\/\/pegi.info\/what-do-the-labels-mean"},{"key":"bibr40-15554120231175615","unstructured":"PEGI. (n.d.).\n                      How we rate games\n                      . https:\/\/pegi.info\/page\/how-we-rate-games"},{"key":"bibr41-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1555412019865848"},{"key":"bibr11c-15554120231175615","unstructured":"Perreault, G. P., Daniel Jr, E. & Tham, S. M. (2021). The Gamification of Gambling: A case study of the mobile game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius.\n                      Game Studies\n                      ,\n                      21\n                      (2). http:\/\/gamestudies.org\/2102\/articles\/perreault_daniel_tham"},{"key":"bibr42-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.31234\/osf.io\/cdwhq"},{"key":"bibr43-15554120231175615","volume-title":"Slotomania Slots: Casino Slot Machine Games","author":"Playtika","year":"2011"},{"key":"bibr44-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1469540521993931"},{"key":"bibr250-15554120231175615","unstructured":"Rockstar Games, & Take-Two Interactive. (2019).\n                      GTA Online\n                      . PlayStation 4 and 5."},{"key":"bibr45-15554120231175615","unstructured":"Sato Y., Br\u00fcckner S., Kurabayashi S., Waragai I. (n.d.).\n                      An Empirical Taxonomy of Monetized Random Reward Mechanisms in Games\n                      ."},{"key":"bibr46-15554120231175615","volume-title":"Addiction by design: Machine gambling in Las Vegas","author":"Sch\u00fcll N. D.","year":"2014"},{"key":"bibr47-15554120231175615","volume-title":"Research and measurement issues in gambling studies","author":"Smith G.","year":"2007"},{"key":"bibr48-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1469540521993929"},{"key":"bibr49-15554120231175615","unstructured":"UK Parliamentary Commission House of Commons. (2019).\n                      Immersive and addictive technologies\n                      ."},{"key":"bibr50-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-74910-1_3"},{"key":"bibr51-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1469540521993922"},{"key":"bibr52-15554120231175615","unstructured":"Williams R. J., Volberg R. A., Stevens R. M., Williams L. A., Arthur J. N. (2017).\n                      The definition, dimensionalization, and assessment of gambling participation\n                      . Report prepared for the Canadian Consortium for Gambling Research."},{"key":"bibr54-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/15554120221077728"},{"key":"bibr53-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/14614448211067756"},{"key":"bibr55-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rsos.230270"},{"key":"bibr56-15554120231175615","first-page":"1","author":"Xiao L. Y.","year":"2022","journal-title":"Journal of Gambling Studies"},{"key":"bibr57-15554120231175615","unstructured":"Xiao L. Y., Henderson L. L., Newall P. (n.d.).\n                      What are the odds? Lower compliance with Western loot box probability disclosure industry self-regulation than Chinese legal regulation\n                      ."},{"key":"bibr58-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7717\/peerj.9466"},{"key":"bibr59-15554120231175615","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rsos.190049"},{"key":"bibr60-15554120231175615","unstructured":"ZeniMax Online Studios & Bethesda Softworks. (2014).\n                      The Elder Scrolls Online\n                      . PlayStation 4 and 5."}],"container-title":["Games and Culture"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/15554120231175615","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/15554120231175615","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/15554120231175615","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T06:34:21Z","timestamp":1777444461000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/15554120231175615"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,31]]},"references-count":64,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,9]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/15554120231175615"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/15554120231175615","relation":{},"ISSN":["1555-4120","1555-4139"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1555-4120","type":"print"},{"value":"1555-4139","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,31]]}}}