Children are being drawn into gambling by illegal online casinos that are using the video game Roblox to attract users as young as 12 years old to their websites.
According to an investigation by Sky News, a network of illegal casinos are allowing children to gamble using their accounts on Roblox – an extremely popular game amongst children and teenagers.
The websites have been accused of allowing Roblox users to use their Roblox credentials and bet using in-game currency from the video game to gamble on slots and live casino titles within their online casino platforms.
When users create an account on the casino’s website using their Roblox credentials, the casino gains access to their Roblox account. Some casinos ask users to tick a box to say they are over 18 or enter a date of birth, but they do not conduct age verification.
The illegal casino can then transfer the user’s Robux (in-game currency) to another Roblox account under its control. In exchange, the user is given an equivalent number of virtual gambling chips on the casino’s platform.
These virtual gambling chips can be used to play games, before being exchanged back into Robux, or converted into cryptocurrency. This cryptocurrency can then easily be converted into real cash.
Sky News’ investigation reached out to one 14-year-ld user in the US who explained that he had gambled around 15 million Robux which amounts to around £150,000.
Three casinos were named in the investigation, with Sky naming BloxFlip, Bloxmoon and RBLXWild. These sites gather around 2.8 million users each month and witness millions of pounds worth of bets.
Following the investigation, the UK Gambling Commission has launched an urgent investigation into the Robux casinos and has blocked UK users from accessing them.
Andrew Rhodes, Chief Executive of the UKGC, stated: “Criminals will always try and find new ways to exploit people, including children. “At the end of the day, illegal casino operators are criminals.
“They’re supported by criminal gangs and are part of the criminal underworld. It’s important that all of us play our part in trying to frustrate them.