The British government recently had a conversation with several large game parties about the sale of so-called loot boxes to minors.
The problem with loot boxes is that you never know exactly what you’re getting out of it. You pay a set amount in advance and then have to wait and see what comes out of the digital box.
The British government finds that this encourages gambling among children and that is of course not the intention. The government there is not alone in this; Loot boxes are also under scrutiny in other countries.
Keep loot boxes out of the hands of children
The United Kingdom government is now asking whether the games industry wants to regulate itself. If the industry is unable to do so, the government will look to legislation. For example, the government could take measures through legislation on gambling and online safety.
So there is a serious threat hanging over the head of the game companies. Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Apple, Google, Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft, among others, were present at the talks. Apple and Google do not have games or consoles of their own, but they do reach a huge number of customers, including children, with their digital stores.
The game developers and publishers find the evidence that loot boxes can lead to a gambling addiction weak, but they also see that the UK government is quite serious about this venture.
It’s not that game companies are no longer allowed to sell digital goods at all. But they should prey less on children. After all, the costs that players have to pay for the loot boxes are not always for their account; often it is the parents who lose tons of money.
