Survey Reveals Japanese Gamers Sacrifice Living Expenses for Gacha Games

A recent survey by SMBC Consumer Finance has revealed spending patterns among Japan’s youth, with nearly 19% of respondents in their twenties admitting they’ve spent so much money on gacha games and in-app purchases that they struggled to cover basic living expenses. The annual online survey, conducted in February 2025 with 1,000 participants aged 20-29, examined young people’s spending habits across various aspects of life, including gaming.

Among the concerning findings, 23.9% of respondents expressed regret over their in-game purchases. Additionally, 17.9% of participants agreed they were “willing to pay to have an advantage in-game,” with male respondents showing a significant increase in this sentiment—rising from 16.2% in 2024 to 23.8% in 2025.

Perhaps most troubling is the growing dependency on these purchases, as 20.8% of respondents claimed they “can’t enjoy the game if they don’t make in-game purchases,” reflecting a 2.7% increase from last year.

While women generally spend less on in-game purchases than men, the survey indicates that female gamers are following similar spending trend increases, with 18.4% now reporting they can’t enjoy games without making purchases—up 2.6% from 2024.

Overall participation in gacha games and other microtransaction-based titles has risen substantially, growing from 15.8% in 2024 to 21.6% in 2025. Interestingly, despite more players engaging with in-game purchases, the average monthly spending has actually decreased from 5,138 yen ($35.85 USD) in 2024 to 4,247 yen ($29.63 USD) in 2025.

These findings raise important questions about the impact of gacha mechanics and microtransactions on young consumers in Japan, particularly as more players report financial difficulties resulting from their gaming habits.

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