Danish gambling regulator raises concerns about gambling via Roblox

The regulator is concerned that young people may be accessing gambling using the virtual Robux currency.

Denmark.- The Danish gambling regulator Spillemyndigheden has raised concerns about gambling on Roblox in its latest report on illegal gaming in Denmark. The regulator says it has seen an increase in so-called skin betting using the online game platform’s virtual Robux currency.

Spillemyndigheden is particularly concerned about ‘earned Robux’, which can be paid out in US dollars or Danish Krona through the Roblox Developer Exchange Programme. It noted that this can be used by several third-party websites for deposits and winnings in betting, casino games and lotteries.

Roblox terms and conditions allow gambling content. Since 2023, the platform has allowed depictions of gambling, alcohol, dating and the use of swear words, with age restrictions in place. However, the terms are supposed to prohibit actual gambling for either real-world money or Robux.

The platform states: “Except where prohibited by local law or regulation, we allow unplayable gambling content, such as references to gambling and related imagery. However, we prohibit both simulated and actual gambling activities on the platform.”

Spillemyndigheden argued that Robux gambling comes under its purview following a 2022 court ruling that found that websites offering Roblox logins with information partially written in Danish could be considered as targeting the Danish market. The regulator is concerned because it’s estimated that approximately half of Roblox users are aged under 18 and a quarter are under 13.

It said: “Roblox is particularly popular among children and young people under the age of 18. Therefore, Robux betting can be a problem because it means that many young people under the age of 18 can access gambling via Robux betting. On almost all illegal Robux betting websites, a Roblox login can be used for access. This is problematic as the Roblox login is associated with the legal platform and communicates easier access for young people, in particular, to participate in gambling.”

Back in 2023, a group of parents lodged a class action lawsuit against Roblox. Rachel Colvin and Danielle Sass claim the platform is making money from children through links to third-party gambling websites where users can spend Robux. Colvin and Sass claim that their children lost money held in Robux. The currency has a monetary value, with one unit worth $0.0125.

Spillemyndigheden continues to monitor unlicensed gambling on social media

Meanwhile, the Danish regulator provided an update on its progress on tackling illegal gambling with social media platforms Google, Facebook and Twitch. It said it has been working with the companies to asses gambling content and notify them when an illegal product is advertised. It encouraged members of the public to help with its monitoring by documenting any unlicensed gambling offering using pictures or video and “links to any websites, Facebook groups, apps, etc”.

It said: “The Danish Gambling Authority is working to establish more collaborations with other media, where we see illegal gambling or the illegal provision of gambling taking place.”

This month, YouTube tightened its rules for gambling content. The Google-owned video platform will no longer allow content creators to include URLs, embedded links, logos or even verbal mentions of online gambling sites that haven’t been reviewed by YouTube or certified by Google Ads.

The platform has also introduced a ban on content that promises guaranteed returns from gambling. From today (Wednesday March 19) content that complies with the site’s community guidelines but shows or promotes online casino sites or apps may also be age-restricted to players who are aged over 18. This will require viewers to log in for verification. Depictions of sports betting content and in-person gambling will not be affected.