Children are falling victim to gambling through illegal online casinos that use the popular video game Roblox to attract users as young as 12 to their platforms.
According to an investigation by Sky News, a network of illegal casinos provides children access to gambling through their Roblox accounts, one of the most popular games among youth.
These sites are accused of allowing Roblox users to log in with their credentials and place bets using in-game currency to play slots and live casino games on their online platforms.
When users register on a casino site using their Roblox credentials, the casino gains access to their Roblox account. In some cases, users are only asked to confirm their age by ticking a box or entering their birthdate, but no actual age verification is carried out.
The illegal casino can then transfer the user’s Robux (in-game currency) to another Roblox account under its control. In exchange, the user receives an equivalent amount of virtual gambling chips for games available on the casino’s platform.
These chips can be used to participate in games, and then exchanged back for Robux or converted into cryptocurrency. This cryptocurrency can then easily be converted into real money.
During the investigation, Sky News spoke with a 14-year-old user from the US who reported spending around 15 million Robux, which amounts to approximately £150,000 ($186,000).
The investigation named three casinos: BloxFlip, Bloxmoon, and RBLXWild. These sites attract around 2.8 million users monthly and process bets worth millions of pounds.
Following the investigation, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) launched an urgent inquiry into casinos using Robux and blocked access to these sites for UK users.
Andrew Rhodes, Chief Executive of the UKGC, stated: “Criminals will always try to find new ways to exploit people, including children. Ultimately, operators of illegal casinos are criminals. They are supported by criminal gangs and are part of the criminal underworld. It is important that each of us plays our part in fighting against them.”
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