Today we have a new report out in collaboration with the excellent Chandni Gupta and and Mariann Campbell at the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) and Robbie Fordyce here at Monash:

Australians of all ages are engaging with gaming to relax, learn or connect with friends, but common design features can leave players worse-off – 95% of Australian adult gamers encounter manipulative design practices in digital games, leading to financial losses and emotional distress. 

A collaboration between CPRC and Monash University, this report explores:

• how deceptive designs exploit vulnerabilities through tricks, disguised ads, and manipulative tactics
• the impact of gambling-like features such as loot boxes and battle passes
• how in-game currencies mask real-world costs, and
• how some practices target younger players.

Gupta, C., Campbell, M., Robards, B., Fordyce, R. (2025) Playing the Player – Unfair digital gaming
practices and their impact on Australians, Consumer Policy Research Centre & Monash University, available online: https://cprc.org.au/report/playing-the-player/