Manipulative marketing practices in online gaming

Online gaming is more than just a fun pastime for kids—it’s a multi-billion-dollar industry that thrives on keeping players engaged, often through clever and sometimes questionable marketing tactics. As parents and carers, it’s essential to understand these manipulative strategies so we can help children navigate gaming responsibly and avoid potential pitfalls.

Several common strategies used in online games subtly pressure players, especially children, into excessive spending on digital items they may not need. These include:

• Persuasive design: Game interfaces and mechanics are intentionally crafted to encourage extended playtime and spending. For instance, levelling up or unlocking new features may be delayed unless players make purchases, exploiting psychological triggers like reward anticipation and goal completion.
• Dark patterns: Interfaces are designed to confuse or mislead players into making unintended purchases or commitments, such as hard-to-find cancellation options, deceptive button placements, or ambiguous language like ‘confirm’ instead of ‘pay’. 
• Loot boxes: Players pay for randomised rewards without knowing what item they will receive after spending their money, mirroring real-life gambling dynamics. 
• Pay-to-win mechanisms: Gamers pay for competitive advantages which are not possible to earn just by playing the game, creating a disparity between paying and non-paying users and encouraging players to spend money. 
• FOMO (fear of missing out) tactics: Time-limited offers increase impulsive purchases and create anxiety of missing the ‘deal’. 
• Excessive microtransactions: Small, frequent costs that accumulate, often unnoticed, throughout the game. These are often only noticed after some time.
  
  

These methods disproportionately impact younger players as their brains are still developing, meaning that they have lower impulse control and do not fully comprehend the value of money. Studies have shown connections between these practices and gambling addiction, financial stress, and even mental health challenges. 

Online gaming can be a fantastic source of entertainment, learning, and socialisation, but it also comes with risks—especially when it comes to manipulative marketing. By staying informed and having open conversations with children, parents and guardians can ensure gaming remains a positive and safe experience rather than a financial trap.

Our greatest learning comes from talking with our children—understanding the games they play and how they think. Meaningful conversations are the first step to empowerment. 
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Tips to support parents and carers:

• Set Spending Limits: Use parental controls to cap spending on games and require permission for purchases.
• ​Discuss Marketing Tactics: Help children recognise manipulative strategies so they can make informed choices.
• Encourage Critical Thinking: Teach kids to ask themselves: “Do I really need this?” or “Is this game trying to trick me?”
• Monitor Playtime and Spending: Keep an eye on gaming habits and talk about responsible gaming.
• Choose Games Wisely: Research games before allowing children to play, opting for those with fair monetisation practices.

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