Govt urged to crackdown on 'gambling' loot boxes in games like FIFA

The abundance of loot boxes in many games played by young people is top of the agenda, with calls for them to be regulated by the government under the Gambling Act and banned from being sold to children.

What are loot boxes?

Loot boxes are a stash of mystery in-game items, tempting players with the chance that any of the crates and packs they buy could contain something of huge value.

In the case of football game FIFA, made by Electronic Arts (EA), they are trading card-style packets that can be bought with either real money or a digital currency earned by playing.

In the DCMS report, chairman Damian Lewis MP said: "Loot boxes are particularly lucrative for games companies but come at a high cost, particularly for problem gamblers, while exposing children to potential harm.

The committee heard evidence that the trading card-style loot box mechanics in FIFA, which is popular with youngsters, had resulted in one gamer spending upwards of £1,000 a year.

Console makers Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo recently pledged to force game publishers to disclose the likelihood of particular items being discovered in loot boxes, but right now video game packaging only sports an icon warning of the potential for extra purchases, which do not always involve an element of chance.

More Information:

https://news.sky.com/story/govt-urged-to-crackdown-on-gambling-loot-boxes-in-games-like-fifa-11806964

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/loot-boxes-video-games-gambling-fifa-fortnite-a9101636.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-49661870​​​​​​​