Access to a resource in a virtual environment is controllably granted by: a) receiving, from a user of the environment, a request for access to the resource; b) allocating the request to a queue of requests for the resource; c) determining a maximum permissible rate of access of users to the resource; d) providing a mechanism which is operable to grant users of the virtual environment with access to the resource at a rate no greater than the maximum permissible rate; e) allocating requests from the queue to the mechanism at a controlled allocation rate no greater than the maximum permissible rate; f) upon allocation of the request from the user to the mechanism, the mechanism granting the user with access to the resource within the virtual environment.