Roblox CEO David Baszucki has stated that he has no issue allowing children to gamble on the game and is enthusiastic about integrating prediction markets. 

In recent years, several countries have implemented restrictions on loot boxes, with Spain being the latest to launch a campaign claiming that they amount to gambling. 

Due to varying legislation, Roblox has been required to restrict access in certain countries. For example, the popular Roblox game Adopt Me suspended its service in the Netherlands and Belgium due to local loot‑box regulations.

In an interview with The New York Times, Baszucki was asked about his thoughts on prediction markets and replied that he would love to allow children the chance to bet using Robux within the game. 

The interviewer asked, “Would you ever put a prediction market inside Roblox — like, let kids bet with their Robux and say, ‘I bet he’s gonna steal a Tung Tung Tung Sahur?’”

Baszucki responded, “We would — I think we would have to do that — once again, I’ll share some of the complexity. Every single country in the world has different legislation around loot boxes and kid gambling. And so we would have to be — it sounds very fun and obvious.”

In September, a 12-year-old in Canada filed a lawsuit against Roblox over allegations that the use of loot boxes has led to a range of issues, including anxiety, depression, irritability, and mood swings. 

The child’s father argues that the symptoms of becoming a teenager have been exacerbated by playing Roblox since the age of 6. 

Prediction Markets “Can Be Educational” For Kids

Prediction markets are becoming increasingly mainstream, with an increasing number of companies launching their own platforms. Major sportsbooks, including DraftKings and FanDuel, are now entering the space, which has intensified claims that the markets are gambling. 

Platforms generally restrict users under 18 years old, but Baszucki said he thinks it could be educational for children to participate. 

He explained, “Well, I actually think it’s a brilliant idea if it can be done in an educational way that’s legal. And so, imagine no free Robux, no free prizes, just a game called the Dress to Impress Predictor, where it’s not like trying to get kids’ money or anything like that. I would be a big fan of it.”

When the interviewer compared this to allowing children to participate in a straw poll on the Presidential election, Baszucki said prediction markets could have a far greater impact. He added, “(T)he straw poll was not a prediction market. And if you gave every kid 10 cents of lunch money and, like, some of them got to buy an extra snack and some lost it, you could get a completely different result than the straw pool you would get in any fifth-grade classroom.”

In the same interview, the CEO stated that Roblox is enhancing its safeguards for age verification by utilizing AI tools. The comments suggest he would not place an age restriction on users’ gambling, however, and instead views it as a learning curve for kids. 

Roblox Faces Lawsuit Over Minors Gambling With Robux

The comments come as Roblox is facing legal challenges over the use of Robux on third-party gambling platforms. 

A group of parents filed a complaint against the company in California back in August 2023. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria dismissed racketeering charges against Roblox earlier this year, commenting, “The concern I have is that what we’re describing here is a situation where Roblox isn’t conducting a gambling operation.”

The judge has allowed negligence claims to proceed against the company. The parents claim that Roblox is aware of the gambling using Robux, but does not warn users. They also claim that Roblox directly benefits by taking a 30% commission on transactions to convert the virtual currency back into dollars. 

Roblox denies it is responsible, stating, “Even if Roblox allegedly received a 30% Robux fee when users purchased virtual content on the Roblox platform to facilitate their off-platform use of the [virtual casinos], plaintiffs do not allege that Roblox owned or leased those games or was employed by any [virtual casino].”

If laws allow, it may not be long before the platform introduces a prediction market into games. That could lead to further legal challenges from parents. 

At the end of the New York Times interview, the interviewer urged Baszucki to promise to address the child safety issues on Roblox before their child starts playing. The CEO responded by saying, “I’m going to go more out of the box than that. Roblox is an amazing platform right now for your kid. And I’m happy to go deep with you, possibly nondisclose you, show you metrics, all of that, to do whatever it takes to get you over the hump.”