Gambling Or Not?
The status of loot boxes has long been a source of debate in the gambling and gaming industries. In video games, loot boxes are in-game transactions where players are given a ‘box’ with random rewards. These rewards can be upgrades, avatars, in-game items of clothing, and other miscellaneous pieces of in-game equipment.
Those who believe loot boxes are a form of gambling argue that they invite players to invest their money in something for a potential reward. People on the other side of the coin argue that, unlike gambling, with loot boxes, you are guaranteed to win something, even if it is not as good as you would have liked.
Gaming industry body UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie) has now stepped in and laid out new ground rules for loot boxes in the UK. The organisation has revealed that it has put these regulations in place over loot boxes promoting gambling to players.
New Principles
The new principles put in Ukie underline the commitment to protecting young people from gambling harm. The new rules include
- Controls are being put in place to restrict anyone under the age of 18 from purchasing loot boxes.
- A public information campaign to drive awareness of loot boxes.
- Probability notices that will give players an indication of what they might receive.
- A research framework designed to study the long-term effects of loot boxes.
- More lenient refund policies.
There is also a commitment to working closely with the government to help establish and review these new principles. Ukie boss Daniel Wood believes that this is a positive move in the right direction and that it will change how the industry approaches loot boxes.
No Movement In The Gambling Industry
Despite the moves from the Ukie, there has been no movement from the gambling industry on loot boxes. The government has expressed mixed opinions on the matter, with former Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Nadine Dorries suggesting moves to restrict loot boxes could have unintended consequences for the gaming industry.
There was also no mention of loot boxes in the recently published UK Gambling White Paper. The topic has been a big source of debate in recent years, and some industry experts were anticipating some suggestions.
The UK is not the first country to make changes to its loot box policies. Spain was one of the first major European countries to tackle the issue. The Spanish government passed a bill in 2022 that would prohibit minors from accessing them.
Gaming companies such as EA, who develop the popular FIFA series, have said that they do not promote gambling in any way and that it is perfectly possible to play and enjoy the game without purchasing loot boxes.
