Social Media Safety / Glossary

Loot box

A loot box is a mystery item in a video game that you buy or earn without knowing what's inside until you open it.

Loot boxes may contain rare skins, characters or items, but most of the time you get something common. The surprise and the near-misses make people want to try again.

Because you pay for a chance rather than a sure thing, loot boxes work a lot like gambling. Some countries, such as Brazil, ban them in games for children and teens.

Agree on a spending limit with a parent, use gift cards rather than a saved bank card, and stop when a game keeps pushing you to buy more.