Betting on Connection: How Parasocial Relationships in Video Games Amplify the Consequences of In-Game Gambling

As video games increasingly incorporate gambling-like mechanics, such as loot boxes and gacha microtransactions, concern has grown over their association with problematic video gaming (PVG) and mental health outcomes. This study explores how parasocial relationships (PRs) with fictional characters, a growing phenomenon in video gaming, may influence the negative effects of in-game gambling on depression. A sample of 584 players (Mage = 24.98, SD = 5.70; 81.6% male), recruited from Reddit forums centered on video games featuring gacha, completed scales assessing risky loot box and gacha use, PVG, depressive symptoms, and whether they had a PR. Using structural equation modeling, mediation and moderated mediation models were tested. Results show that having PR is indirectly linked to depression via PVG, and that while risky in-game gambling behaviors alone did not predict depression via PVG in the general sample, PRs significantly altered this dynamic. Specifically, for individuals who reported having a PR, both risky loot box and gacha engagement indirectly predicted depression through PVG. These associations were absent, or even negative, among participants without a PR. Findings suggest that PRs with fictional characters may exacerbate gaming-related harms by increasing emotional investment and gameplay frequency, particularly in games designed to foster emotional attachment or feature in-game gambling. This study highlights PRs as a key psychological mechanism linking in-game gambling to poor mental health, reinforcing the importance of considering player–character relationships in future research and policy efforts on gaming disorder and digital spending risks.