The British channel Sky News, as part of its investigation, found that illegal online casinos are using the popular Roblox platform to lure minors into the world of gambling.
Image source: Sky News
These unlicensed casinos (Sky News identified eight) like BloxFlip, Bloxmoon and RBLXWild allow you to log in with your Roblox account and bet on games like slots and blackjack using the premium currency Robux.
Such portals do not impose any age restrictions, so users of all ages are invited to spend their (and their parents’) money. The Sky News investigation involved children aged 12, 14 and 16.
Winnings can be withdrawn in cryptocurrency and then converted into real money
American teenager Robert (not his real name) told Sky News that he spent about 15 million Robux (about £150 thousand) in such online casinos and because of this he even considered committing suicide.
«Mom tried to stop me, but I didn’t listen. I loved the adrenaline of raising the stakes more and more. I thought it was just a chance to make extra money. I didn’t even know what gambling was,” Robert said.
In response, the UK Gambling Commission launched an emergency investigation into these eight casinos, and Roblox lawyers forced BloxFlip, Bloxmoon and RBLXWild – the three largest gambling portals – to close.
Meanwhile, in the United States, the parents of five children who were victims of such casinos filed a class action lawsuit against Roblox. In September, a judge ruled that the platform must respond to the allegations, but the company refuses to take blame.