Brett Wooden, Financial Institution Software Strategist, Buildable
In 2021, my 12-year-old daughter came to me looking for help answering interview questions.
At first, I thought she meant a school assignment or maybe a mock interview exercise. When I asked what she was talking about, she explained that she was interviewing for a job inside a game on Roblox called Boba Cafe. To work in the game as a cashier or barista, players had to apply, interview, and earn their role. The questions were about responsibility, teamwork, and how you would handle customers.
That moment hit me like a ton of bloxs (Sorry about the dad joke).
Here was my middle schooler preparing for a job interview not because an adult told her to but because a game required it. She wanted the job. She wanted to do well. And she understood that answering thoughtfully mattered.
Around the same time, brands like IKEA, Wendy’s, and Chipotle began showing up inside gaming environments, creating virtual storefronts that teach kids how businesses operate. Players were not just buying items. They were learning how stores run, how inventory works, and how customer experience matters.
That is when I had a simple but powerful thought. Why not credit unions?
If kids are already learning about work, value, and responsibility inside games, why would financial institutions not be there, too, helping them understand money, saving, spending, and decision making in a way that feels natural? That question eventually led to what we are building today. Real credit union branches inside a Roblox based game launching this spring. The first credit union to take that step is orsa Credit Union (formerly Community Financial CU).
That personal moment with my daughter reflects something much bigger happening right now.
Gaming is no longer just entertainment. It is social. It is educational. And it is shaping how the next generation understands money. In the United States alone, consumers spent more than $59 billionon video games in 2024, with most of that spending tied to digital content rather than hardware.
Each of those transactions flows through familiar financial rails, including debit cards, credit cards, gift cards, and app store payments.
Financial institutions are already connected to gaming. They just are not intentionally engaging it.
What makes this shift especially important is how early financial behavior is forming. Inside games, kids decide when to spend, when to save, how to earn currency, and how to assign value to digital goods. These decisions mirror real-world money behavior, but they happen in environments that feel intuitive and motivating. The lessons stick because they are lived, not lectured.
Platforms like Roblox make this even more compelling. With tens of millions of daily active users, Roblox functions as a creator-driven economy. Players build worlds, design items, trade digital assets, and earn in-game currency. Virtual economies are not a feature. They are the foundation. For kids, this feels normal. For financial institutions, it should be seen as an opportunity.
Parents recognize the value too. While kids are the players, parents are the ones managing allowance, spending limits, and financial conversations at home. Gaming based financial education reduces friction. Instead of forcing lessons, parents gain visibility. Instead of abstract rules, kids see outcomes. Spending becomes a choice. Saving becomes a strategy.
When designed intentionally, this dynamic builds trust at the household level. The kind of trust credit unions are built on.
The opportunity is not to simply gamify banking, but to connect real financial products to real digital behavior. Virtual credit union branches can teach savings through missions and rewards. Youth accounts linked to debit cards or gift cards can reinforce budgeting in real time. Small nudges like saving a portion of in-game spending turn everyday actions into meaningful learning moments.
There is a business case as well. Increased card usage drives interchange and non-interest income. Early engagement leads to higher retention and stronger member lifetime value. When a child’s first positive financial experiences are tied to a specific institution, that institution often becomes the default choice later in life.
The real risk is not experimentation. It is waiting. Kids are already learning how money works inside virtual worlds. The question is whether financial institutions will be part of that learning or remain on the sidelines.
Those who move now have an opportunity to blend education, trust, and relevance in a way that feels natural rather than forced and to build the next generation of banking relationships in the age of play.
For those who want to go deeper, the full Room(39)a white paper, “Financial Institutions and Gaming: A New Frontier for Engagement, Education, and Growth,” explores the data, business case, and practical frameworks behind this shift in more detail. It expands on how gaming platforms like Roblox intersect with payments, financial education, and long-term member value.
Blake Woods of orsa Credit Union and I recently hosted a webinar, Roblox Credit Union CFCU Webinar Video, where we walked through what this looks like in practice, including an early look at the credit union branch we are building on Roblox for Community Financial. In the session, we talk openly about why we started this work, how the branch is designed, and what credit unions should consider if they are exploring similar ideas.
Both are intended as starting points. Not a pitch. Not a prescription. Just a clearer look at how gaming, education, and financial institutions are beginning to intersect and where the opportunity may lie for those willing to experiment thoughtfully.
Buildable is a custom software development and strategy firm that partners with credit unions, banks, and fintechs to design and build digital products that create real-world impact. For additionalinformation or questions, contact Brett Wooden at bwooden@buildableworks.com