Children who play computers games that offer randomised rewards could be more likely to become problem gamblers in adulthood, the first study to show a link has found.

A study by the universities of York and York St John found adult gamers with a history of problem gambling spent more on paid-for features in video games, known as loot boxes, which dispense random items such as in-game weapons or characters.

Researchers said the findings, which came form surveys of more than 7,400 gamers, established a “significant relationship” between problem gambling and loot boxes.

They also warned that the features, used in popular titles such as Rocket League and Overwatch, “may well be acting as a ‘gateway’ to problem gambling”.

Loot boxes appear in games rated appropriate for three-year-olds and above and it is estimated that $30 billion (£23 billion) has been spent on them in 2018.