Gacha game spending leaves young Japanese people struggling to pay rent

A 2025 survey revealed that nearly 20% of Japanese twentysomethings have struggled to pay for their living expenses due to spending money on in-game purchases for Gacha-style video games.

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Gacha games have experienced a sharp rise in popularity over the years, thanks in no small part to blockbuster titles like Genshin Impact.

These games, like the Gashapon capsule machines they’re named after, allow players to pay for the chance of getting a certain thing within the game — be it a particular character, skin or cosmetic.

Gacha games are completely random, and some players will spend eye-popping amounts of cash to get the characters they just can’t live without.

A screenshot of Genshin Impact characters.

HoYoVerse

Genshin Impact players can pay for the chance to pull their favorite characters from the popular Gacha-style game.

Gacha games are so addictive, some Japanese players struggle to cover living expenses

In fact, the Gacha game craze is getting so intense that a 2025 online survey from Japan’s SMBC Consumer Finance Corporation found that nearly 20% of Japanese people in their twenties struggled to pay for necessities like rent due to their costly Gacha addictions.

The survey discovered that 18.8% of participants admitted they “once spent so much money on in-game purchases that they couldn’t cover their living expenses,” while 23.9% said they “regretted spending money on in-game transactions.”

A graph from Japan's SMBC Financial Consumer Co. showing the amount of Japanese people in their 20's who've struggled to pay for living expenses due to in-game purchases.

Automaton, SMBC Consumer Finance Co.

18.8% of Japanese people in their 20’s admitted that making in-game purchases caused them to struggle to pay for their living expenses.

In another surprising find, the SMBC survey determined that the number of players who spend money on microtransactions and Gacha games rose 5.8% in the last year, increasing from 15.8% in 2024 to 21.6% in 2025.

However, while more people are spending money on in-game purchases, the overall amount they’re paying has steadily decreased. In 2024, Japanese people in their 20s spent an average of 5,138 yen ($35.85 USD) per month on microtransactions — but in 2025, that number decreased to 4,247 yen ($29.63 USD) monthly.

A graph showing the decrease in spending amounts on gacha games from 2024 - 2025 among Japanese people in their 20s.

SMBC Consumer Finance Co.

While overall spending on microtransactions has increased in Japan, the amount players are spending is steadily dwindling.

Microtransactions have become an increasingly hot topic within the gaming community as more and more players call out “predatory” practices from big-time developers. In fact, governments are even getting involved in the conversation, with the European Union introducing legislation requiring games to include the real-world cost of in-game items alongside digital currency.