-
Casinos for you
Australia Says Loot Boxes Are A Gateway To Gambling
By Shane Addinall Mar 12, 2020 OpinionAustralia disregards the legalese loopholes that protect predatory microtransactions being correctly labelled as gambling by the UK, USA and others – choosing instead to side with the likes of Belgium and the Netherlands who are anti-loot boxes.Loot boxes are money-grubbing phenomena that found fertile soil in the relatively uncontrolled mobile gaming space where “free” games are heavily monetised through an aggressive series of microtransactions.
While some of these transactions are in the €1 or less range the term ‘micro’ is used very loosely as on the other side of the spectrum single transactions can easily top the €100 mark. The most egregious aspect of this business model is not the purchase size but rather that there has been zero control over which game they appear in – with most of the early aggressors heavily targeting children’s games and sports games like FIFA and NBA 2K which have large numbers of players under the age of 13.
The most concerning aspect of these surprise mechanics is that while you want a specific item you cannot buy it directly, rather you have to purchase several random packs in the hopes of getting “lucky”. This sparks the same dopamine rush associated with winning a slot spin but in an environment aimed at an audience of "3 years and older" according to the PEGI rating system.
Leave Our Kids Alone
A recent report by the Australian House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs has recommended that loot boxes and other forms of in-game virtual rewards that can be purchased with real world money, be legally considered gambling, despite the lack of cash pay-out (which is the usual loophole loot boxes slip through).
An excerpt from the report reads:
"The committee recommends that the Office of the eSafety Commissioner or other relevant government department report to the Australian government on options for restricting access to loot boxes and other simulated gambling elements in computer and video games to adults aged 18 years or over, including through the use of mandatory age verification"
This means that in order to purchase a loot box as an Australian player you would need to provide your ID. The report is also very honest about the challenges such a system faces in being implemented effectively but calls for it is investigated.
In an ideal world, Australia would simply join the ranks of Belgium and the Netherlands, countries who have chosen to ban loot boxes forcing companies like EA and 2K Games to remove them from being offered in their jurisdictions or face charges in-keeping with offering gambling services to minors.
The Day EA Stepped In It
Loot boxes came under fire in the mainstream media for the first time in 2017 when EA launched the new Star Wars Battlefront game loaded with the cash-grab mechanics that are so virulent in their FIFA games.
The Battle Front community took to social media to voice their disgust and to rally others to their cause. A cause which would eventually representatives of Epic Games (Fortnite) and EA (FIFA) meet with the UK’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee in 2019 to understand if loot boxes are addictive, constitute gambling and if have been ethically implemented.
Despite the randomised nature of loot boxes, the committee found that the loot boxes dodged being considered gambling on a technicality, however, they were deemed a worrying development in luring at-risk groups into spending large sums of money and were found worthy of further investigation.
This investigation was the catalyst for many of the reports and actions now being seen around the world. We can only hope for clear and effective loot box regulation worldwide to allow gaming to once again be a safe place for kids and adults to enjoy the escapism and entertainment of adventuring or being a sports star without the fear of accidentally draining the family bank account..
You might also like