Children gambling at illegal casinos through Roblox accounts

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Illegal online casinos are reportedly targeting children by exploiting the popular gaming site Roblox.

That's according to a recent report from Sky News, who claim these unlicensed casinos lure users — some as young as 12 — into betting using Roblox's in-game currency, Robux.

Winnings can then be withdrawn as cryptocurrency and then real money, raising serious concerns about the safeguarding of children online.

Roblox is one of the most popular video games in the world with 80million active users every day, almost half of which are thought to be under the age of 12. Known as a "digital playground," its popularity with young players has made it a prime target for these illicit operations.

The casinos, like BloxFlip, Bloxmoon and RBLXWild, operate independently of Roblox but require users to sign up using their Roblox accounts. Once they sign up, users can gamble their Robux on games like slots and blackjack.

One Roblox user from the US, referred to as 'Robert', admitted that he gambled 15m Robux, equivalent to £150,000. He began using these gambling sites at just 14 years old, seven years below the legal gambling age in his state.

"My mother tried to get me to stop, but I didn't," the teenager told Sky News. "I just liked the adrenaline of doing bigger and bigger bets.

"I just thought it was something you could do to make extra money. I didn't even know what gambling was. At first I deposited around 100 Robux (£1) - just something small to try it out.

"I lost it all. Then I deposited more to try to make up for it, which I lost again. Then I deposited more."

The Gambling Commission have since blocked these sites from operating in the UK and launched an immediate investigation to uncover the identities of those behind these casinos.

In response to the report, the regulator's chief executive Andrew Rhodes told Sky News: "Criminals will always try and find new ways to exploit people, including children."

He added: "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 all of us play our part in trying to frustrate them."

'Robert' has since quit gambling on these illegal sites, but does regret getting his friends involved.

"He knew he shouldn't be doing it, but the adrenaline kept [him] going," he added. "Then he lost it all in one night, unfortunately."

A Roblox spokesperson claims the casinos are "in no way endorsed or authorised by Roblox" and that the company has taken "numerous steps to disrupt their activity, which violates our terms of use".

"We have a dedicated group focused on identifying potentially fraudulent activity on Roblox and we work collaboratively with law enforcement authorities where possible to pursue the owners of such websites," they told Sky News.

"Our efforts have met with some success, but we would welcome further law enforcement action and vigilance from web hosting providers to shut down sites like this."

If you have experienced any issues with gambling, you can get expert advice by reading our guide to responsible gambling at online casinos.