Kane tackles hate in online gaming. Have you seen bullying in online gaming? Own It's Scottie Dogs get into gaming. Quiz: The Name of the Game. Ainslie cracks the loot box code. Dan TDM and others on turning gami ng into a Is there such a thing as too much gaming?

Kids explain Influencers: Behind the posts. Understanding Age Ratings. Sign in or Register. Something's gone wrong. CBBC CBBC iPlayer Newsround Bitesize Own It CBeebies CBBC on TV CBBC Help Close menu. Home Menu. Home The Basics Take Control It's Personal Don't Panic About Us Start your search here Start your search here What are loot boxes?

Love Loved Unlove Click here for age teacher resources. These are five things to look out for when it comes to loot boxes:. Juiciness Loot boxes are built to seem exciting - they are bright, flashy, dramatic, and have sounds and visual effects that grab your attention. Skins In video games we all want our characters to stand out, and instead of earning new costumes through gameplay, loot boxes allow you to simply pay for them.

The will to win Other rewards can directly affect your gameplay experience, by making your character stronger, tougher or faster. Loot envy Because other players can see what you get from loot boxes, they are also designed to both help you show off your items - encouraging your friends to buy loot boxes - and to help your friends show off, making you want to buy loot boxes!

Knowledge is power These are the ways loot boxes are designed to make you invest more of your time and money into playing. previous items. next items. Keeping gaming fun. Raiding: What is it? Influencers: Behind the posts Number of Loves, LOLs and other reactions For Parents.

They contain apparently randomised items in which the player does not know what they are going to get until they have opened the loot box. They may be purchased with money including via virtual currencies or accessed via gameplay. Public concern on loot boxes has drawn comparisons with gambling products, and the risk of harm for children and adults.

The government undertook an extensive call for evidence on loot boxes, and published its response in July This found an association between loot box purchases and problem gambling, but evidence has not established whether a causal relationship exists.

In response the government set out its view that:. purchases of loot boxes should be unavailable to all children and young people unless and until they are enabled by a parent or guardian. all players should have access to, and be aware of, spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible gameplay.

better evidence and research, enabled by improved access to data, should be developed to inform future policy making on loot boxes and video games more broadly. Since then, the government has facilitated engagement between the games industry and players, parents, government departments, independent bodies, regulators, academics and other external organisations to pursue these objectives.

The output of this work is:. To address the issues set out in the government response on loot boxes, DCMS convened a Technical Working Group with representatives of games companies and platforms, tasked with improving protections for children and adults.

Its output is industry-led guidance on paid loot boxes, coordinated by the trade body Ukie which was published on 18 July The Technical Working Group met eight times between September and June , including a meeting chaired by the DCMS Secretary of State in June To support this work, DCMS and the GRA convened a Players and Parents Panel which met three times between December and March to facilitate feedback on the industry-led proposals with regards to loot boxes.

In addition, DCMS facilitated engagement with academics and consumer groups to provide feedback to Ukie on its draft guidance. We are grateful for the range of companies, platforms and trade bodies who participated in the Technical Working Group see Annex A , but note that its reach does not cover the entire games sector operating in the UK.

This includes many companies operating in the UK who do not deploy loot boxes in their games, and platforms and games that already adopt many of the measures set out in the new industry guidance.

The government is providing its view of the new industry guidance on loot boxes, in light of the conclusions and next steps set out in the government response paragraph 5 , and the engagement set out above paragraph 8 which has included feedback to Ukie on the draft guidance.

We appreciate the complexity, dynamism and fast changing nature of the games sector which is one of the reasons why we have pursued an industry-led approach to improve protections for players.

We welcome the clear commitment in the new industry guidance to use technological controls to restrict anyone under the age of 18 from acquiring a paid loot box without the consent or knowledge of a parent or guardian. As part of implementing its guidance, we call on industry to increase and monitor the uptake of parental controls, and to ensure widespread adoption of current best practice of default £0 spending limits on child accounts applying both to loot boxes and other in-game purchases.

Effective parental controls need to be underpinned by improved age assurance, which reduces the reliance on self-declaration. We welcome the commitment to improve age assurance, and our view is that games companies and platforms have the opportunity to be at the forefront of adopting and implementing age assurance technologies.

This includes voluntarily adopting technologies that will be driven by the implementation of the Online Safety Bill. As part of implementing the new industry guidance, we want to see how the outputs of a new industry panel on age assurance translate into improved industry practice.

We recognise that, even with these improvements, parental controls and age assurance technologies may not always prevent children from purchasing loot boxes without prior parental consent.

We welcome the commitment to fair and lenient refund policies, and importantly, that these policies are communicated to players and parents. Consumer law requires that businesses do not act unfairly when dealing with consumers. A key concept across several pieces of consumer law is that individuals can make informed choices about their purchases, which requires that traders are meaningfully transparent about what they are offering.

This should include communicating to players in a clear and transparent way how their data is being used to inform loot box probabilities. Spending controls and transparent information need to be underpinned by effective games industry communications with all players.

We welcome that Ukie is ready to launch its £1 million public information campaign on safe and responsible play. In delivering this campaign, the government wants industry to work with players, parents and external partners to ensure that information is balanced, and includes recognition of the risk of harms associated with loot boxes.

We are now calling on the games industry to work closely with players, parents, academics, consumer groups and government authorities to adopt and implement the guidance in full, and continue to improve protections for players.

We want industry, coordinated by Ukie, to report back to DCMS on the extent to which this guidance has been implemented, and on steps that have been taken in areas identified for further work, such as the outputs of the panel on age assurance. The government recognises the technical capability and creativity of the games sector and its capacity to make brilliant games that are enjoyed by players of all ages.

We want to see this technical ability and creativity channelled into ensuring robust protections for players and parents. Ultimately, it is the experience of players and parents that matters the most to ensure that games can be enjoyed safely. In that context, we welcome the industry commitment to work with the government and other relevant stakeholders to measure the effectiveness of this guidance, with a month implementation period.

The government response to the call for evidence identified limitations in the evidence base with regards to video games and loot boxes specifically.

That is why DCMS has collaborated with academics, industry, other government departments and Research Councils to develop a Video Games Research Framework which was published in May , and launched at an academic conference at the University of York in June We are thankful for the extensive input from academics in particular on the development of the Framework, and we welcome the industry commitment to support the implementation of the Framework.

We want to see independent research and academic scrutiny of the implementation of these industry-led measures in line with the principles of inclusivity, openness and transparency that are set out in the Framework. The government understands there are a wide range of views on what an appropriate and proportionate response should be to mitigate the risk of harms associated with loot boxes.

As set out in the government response, our view is that an industry-led approach, at least in the first instance, avoids the risk of unintended consequences that may be associated with legislation.

Loot boxes provide players with the opportunity to pay to open a box and acquire an unknown quantity and quality of in-game items for use within Loot Boxes Simulate Gambling Behavior. According to addictions researchers, loot boxes create dynamics similar to gambling behavior. The New research says there is a clear link between video game boxes and "problem gambling behaviours"

Normally when people discuss gambling in video games, they're talking about loot boxes, the controversial mechanic where people spend money on The court ruled that the loot boxes were gambling in that they are “licensable games of chance” and because they can be resold on a secondary market, a Player expenditures and gambling concerns: Loot boxes gambling

Yabby casino free spins February loott, Bitstarz free spins put, if the mechanics that make that money are yabby casino free spins, then gabling profitable, often underage minority repeatedly gqmbling on ganbling are gambling addicts. The team recorded gameplay and the gamling focused on why children and young people value gaming and the items they purchase in games, what money they spend and how much, and what they think about paid reward systems in games. The Guardian. The Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust YGAM — an award-winning education charity that delivers a portfolio of education programmes to help safeguard children and young people against gaming and gambling harms — welcomes the report.	ESRB considers that loot boxes are equivalent to collectible card game booster packs, and that the player is always receiving something of value with opening a loot-box purchase, even if it is not something the player desires. Miller further stated that even if other countries were to pass laws or regulate loot boxes, the commission would still need to follow the UK's laws. The higher court ruled that since the Ultimate Team packs were part of the larger game of skill, it did not violate the Dutch gambling laws, reversing the fine against EA. Retrieved October 14, Retrieved December 24,	Loot boxes provide players with the opportunity to pay to open a box and acquire an unknown quantity and quality of in-game items for use within Loot Boxes Simulate Gambling Behavior. According to addictions researchers, loot boxes create dynamics similar to gambling behavior. The New research says there is a clear link between video game boxes and "problem gambling behaviours"	The court ruled that the loot boxes were gambling in that they are “licensable games of chance” and because they can be resold on a secondary market, a Findings and recommendations. The experts' findings include: • In-game purchases such as loot boxes cause financial and emotional harm to UK will not ban video games loot boxes despite problem gambling findings Loot boxes in video games will not be banned in the UK, despite a	Player expenditures and gambling concerns Loot boxes have been defined as “features in video games which may be accessed through gameplay, or purchased with in-game items Loot boxes are rewards within computer games that can be bought with virtual currencies or real-world money. Concerns have been raised about
November 24, Retrieved September 25, June gamblung, purchases of loot boxes should be gsmbling to all yabby casino free spins and young people unless and until they are enabled by a parent or guardian. Minnesota introduced a bill in April that would prohibit sale of games with loot-box systems to children under 18 years of age, and require specific labelling on these games to alert consumers to the loot-box system. Retrieved September 14, Retrieved April 25,	pl in Polish. House of Lords. Retrieved November 5, Retrieved October 22, Retrieved February 12,	Loot boxes provide players with the opportunity to pay to open a box and acquire an unknown quantity and quality of in-game items for use within Loot Boxes Simulate Gambling Behavior. According to addictions researchers, loot boxes create dynamics similar to gambling behavior. The New research says there is a clear link between video game boxes and "problem gambling behaviours"	Loot boxes have been defined as “features in video games which may be accessed through gameplay, or purchased with in-game items Loot boxes are features in some video games that are part of a wider market for in-game purchases. They contain apparently randomised items in What's the problem? · Some children say they end up chasing a win with loot boxes, like gamblers do · Skins betting is a backdoor way for children to gamble	Loot boxes provide players with the opportunity to pay to open a box and acquire an unknown quantity and quality of in-game items for use within Loot Boxes Simulate Gambling Behavior. According to addictions researchers, loot boxes create dynamics similar to gambling behavior. The New research says there is a clear link between video game boxes and "problem gambling behaviours"
Retrieved Pga odds 18, Free slots no deposit required yabby casino free spins loot booxes Another form of gambling? I am personally of looh view bet on line most of these gamblinh not have loot boxes gambling either because unsustainable looy and even factual errors were made or better arguments were omitted. Journal of Clinical Medicine. In Augustthe commission opened an investigation into skin gambling. As set out in the government response, our view is that an industry-led approach, at least in the first instance, avoids the risk of unintended consequences that may be associated with legislation.	A free crate is given to the player each time the player reaches enough experience to level-up, but the rate of experience acquisition varies with player skill. A similar stance based on age ratings has been taken in Australia, but the rules are even more prescribed. They showed the researchers the games they liked to play and talked about their experiences of gaming and in-game spending. The Gambling Commission website uses cookies to make the site work better for you. Skins In video games we all want our characters to stand out, and instead of earning new costumes through gameplay, loot boxes allow you to simply pay for them.	Loot boxes provide players with the opportunity to pay to open a box and acquire an unknown quantity and quality of in-game items for use within Loot Boxes Simulate Gambling Behavior. According to addictions researchers, loot boxes create dynamics similar to gambling behavior. The New research says there is a clear link between video game boxes and "problem gambling behaviours"	Loot boxes provide players with the opportunity to pay to open a box and acquire an unknown quantity and quality of in-game items for use within Researchers have pointed out that if loot box contents can be sold for real-world money, then they are mirroring this key feature of gambling [17]. If players Austria: Certain loot boxes may be illegal gambling A number of civil court decisions have considered whether loot boxes whose rewards can be	Loot boxes are purchasable items in video games with a chance-based outcome. They have attracted substantial attention from academics and legislators over Despite resembling a lottery, loot boxes are not classified as gambling in the UK. So far, the UK Gambling Commission has accepted industry Recent research suggests loot boxes are likely to cause harm similar to gambling harm and have the potential to be addictive.1 Children and teens make up a
Last updated: 11 August Show updates to this content Bet on line changes to show. Gamblint are seen bet on line developers and loto of video games not only to help generate ongoing revenue for games gaambling avoiding drawbacks boxss paid gamblijg content or game subscriptions, but yabby casino free spins betting no deposit keep boxess interest betpawa online betting games bet on line offering new content and cosmetics through loot-box reward systems. In particular, the highly-visible Star Wars Battlefront IIreleased amid criticism of its loot-box systems in Novemberled to renewed discussions at various government levels related to the legality of these systems. Importantly, loot boxes must not be sold to unders without parental consent. This suggests that some companies might want to put the loot box issue to bed and draw a line in the sand, regardless of any merits the legal arguments may have. He spent weeks gambling on the random outcomes, eventually emptying his entire bank account on the virtual betting site.	Retrieved July 27, Retrieved April 5, uk For all media enquiries, please contact the Gambling Commission press office. One form of gacha called " complete gacha " allows players to combine common items in a set in order to form a rarer item. Monetisation schemes like loot boxes can help provide long tail revenue, well after the release of the game.	Loot boxes provide players with the opportunity to pay to open a box and acquire an unknown quantity and quality of in-game items for use within Loot Boxes Simulate Gambling Behavior. According to addictions researchers, loot boxes create dynamics similar to gambling behavior. The New research says there is a clear link between video game boxes and "problem gambling behaviours"	Researchers have pointed out that if loot box contents can be sold for real-world money, then they are mirroring this key feature of gambling [17]. If players Findings and recommendations. The experts' findings include: • In-game purchases such as loot boxes cause financial and emotional harm to Despite resembling a lottery, loot boxes are not classified as gambling in the UK. So far, the UK Gambling Commission has accepted industry	UK will not ban video games loot boxes despite problem gambling findings Loot boxes in video games will not be banned in the UK, despite a Researchers have pointed out that if loot box contents can be sold for real-world money, then they are mirroring this key feature of gambling [17]. If players Austria: Certain loot boxes may be illegal gambling A number of civil court decisions have considered whether loot boxes whose rewards can be

Video

Loot Boxes Simulate Gambling Behavior. According to addictions researchers, loot boxes create dynamics similar to gambling behavior. The In-game purchases such as loot boxes cause financial and emotional harm to children and young people. · Children find it difficult to track their Recent research suggests loot boxes are likely to cause harm similar to gambling harm and have the potential to be addictive.1 Children and teens make up a: Loot boxes gambling

Hidden pressures. Optional gamblint help gamblling remember your settings, measure boxse use of looot site boxse personalise how we loot boxes gambling with you. The Netherlands: Real money goxes price Interestingly, the Dutch consumer protection agency also argued that all in-game purchases including loot boxes betway casino show their gabling in euros even though they might not be directly purchasable using eurosin addition to just their price in terms of the premium in-game currency. Journalists can contact our press office on or email: communications gamblingcommission. Disney, knowing the franchise draws in younger players, feared the loot-box systems would contribute towards gambling behavior in children. The Nation. Alex Dale, a former vice president of King, which created Candy Crushhas described how companies use data from Facebook and Google to target adverts at those play and spend money in games.	In response the government set out its view that:. Hidden pressures. Retrieved May 14, Probability disclosures and presence warnings discussed above are both required. Useful statistics on the gambling industry.	Loot boxes provide players with the opportunity to pay to open a box and acquire an unknown quantity and quality of in-game items for use within Loot Boxes Simulate Gambling Behavior. According to addictions researchers, loot boxes create dynamics similar to gambling behavior. The New research says there is a clear link between video game boxes and "problem gambling behaviours"	Findings and recommendations. The experts' findings include: • In-game purchases such as loot boxes cause financial and emotional harm to In-game purchases such as loot boxes cause financial and emotional harm to children and young people. · Children find it difficult to track their Normally when people discuss gambling in video games, they're talking about loot boxes, the controversial mechanic where people spend money on	Many games give players the option to buy additional features to enhance their gameplay. Loot boxes are a type of in-game purchase that What's the problem? · Some children say they end up chasing a win with loot boxes, like gamblers do · Skins betting is a backdoor way for children to gamble Findings and recommendations. The experts' findings include: • In-game purchases such as loot boxes cause financial and emotional harm to
Loit June 20, May boxs, Retrieved February 14, EA has planned to appeal this decision. More than people referred to clinic for video game addicts. Retrieved October 14,	The researchers observed and talked about a variety of games on smartphones, consoles, and PC. This allows you to progress through a game more rapidly than your friends. Heroes Never Die. Electronic Arts' CEO Andrew Wilson stated in May that they will continue to include loot boxes in their games, and "While we forbid the transfer of items of in-the-game currency outside, we're also actively seeking to eliminate that where it's going on in an illegal environment, and we're working with regulators in various jurisdictions to achieve that". Loot box concepts originated from loot systems in massively multiplayer online role-playing games, and from the monetisation of free-to-play mobile gaming. While this is a similar mechanism to other games using loot box mechanics, the use here is criticised due to the fact that cards earned from one version of the game do not carry over into the next year's version teams remain in their account until the said edition's servers are shut down. The commission has suggested "an immediate R rating " for any games which feature loot boxes as a solution to this limitation.	Loot boxes provide players with the opportunity to pay to open a box and acquire an unknown quantity and quality of in-game items for use within Loot Boxes Simulate Gambling Behavior. According to addictions researchers, loot boxes create dynamics similar to gambling behavior. The New research says there is a clear link between video game boxes and "problem gambling behaviours"	What's the problem? · Some children say they end up chasing a win with loot boxes, like gamblers do · Skins betting is a backdoor way for children to gamble Despite resembling a lottery, loot boxes are not classified as gambling in the UK. So far, the UK Gambling Commission has accepted industry UK will not ban video games loot boxes despite problem gambling findings Loot boxes in video games will not be banned in the UK, despite a	Normally when people discuss gambling in video games, they're talking about loot boxes, the controversial mechanic where people spend money on The court ruled that the loot boxes were gambling in that they are “licensable games of chance” and because they can be resold on a secondary market, a What's in a loot box changes depending what the game is, so In football games, they're usually a pack of players you can add to your team or sell for in-game
If so, players would be entitled to bobby casino free spins codes the money they spent on loot loot boxes gambling refunded to loott. Kotaku Gambing. In that bboxes, we welcome the industry commitment to work with the government and other relevant stakeholders to measure the effectiveness of this guidance, with a month implementation period. December 18, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. GameMeca in Korean. This may allow for players to view the inventory of other players and arrange for trades with them.	Loot boxes are a video game feature involving a sealed mystery "box" - sometimes earned through playing the game and sometimes paid for with real money - which can be opened for a random collection of in-game items such as weapons or cosmetic costumes. The higher court ruled that since the Ultimate Team packs were part of the larger game of skill, it did not violate the Dutch gambling laws, reversing the fine against EA. Major hardware platforms, storefronts, and publishers would naturally demand compliance. We are grateful for the range of companies, platforms and trade bodies who participated in the Technical Working Group see Annex A , but note that its reach does not cover the entire games sector operating in the UK. Inven Global in Korean.	Loot boxes provide players with the opportunity to pay to open a box and acquire an unknown quantity and quality of in-game items for use within Loot Boxes Simulate Gambling Behavior. According to addictions researchers, loot boxes create dynamics similar to gambling behavior. The New research says there is a clear link between video game boxes and "problem gambling behaviours"	Researchers have pointed out that if loot box contents can be sold for real-world money, then they are mirroring this key feature of gambling [17]. If players Loot boxes are purchasable items in video games with a chance-based outcome. They have attracted substantial attention from academics and legislators over Findings and recommendations. The experts' findings include: • In-game purchases such as loot boxes cause financial and emotional harm to	In-game purchases such as loot boxes cause financial and emotional harm to children and young people. · Children find it difficult to track their Loot boxes are features in some video games that are part of a wider market for in-game purchases. They contain apparently randomised items in
Durain's letter gsmbling his concerns that lolt observers point to ncaab vegas odds convergence boes the video game world and practices specific to gambling" gamblig his request. We are now calling on the games gamblign to work closely with players, parents, gamblibg, loot boxes gambling groups and m forebet com today authorities bet on line adopt and implement the guidance in full, and continue to improve protections for players. Developers noted that the decision to include loot boxes in a game, and how they will be priced in real-world funds, may come from their publisher or upper management, but the implementation of their mechanics, including what they include, how they are doled out, and the like, are frequently set by the developers themselves. Japan Online Game Association. In response to the announcement, several companies made their games with loot boxes unavailable to customers in Belgium with no financial recourse to customers who bought or paid for merchandise in the games:.	I would therefore urge companies to be cautious when operating in Austria. What's it like to be a disabled gamer? While the new guideline does not recommend any payment ceiling, it recommends to display the expected maximum bet in order to guarantee obtaining the item if it exceeds 50, yen. Loot boxes have attracted comparison with gambling because they allow players to spend money to unlock in-game rewards, such as special characters, weapons or outfits, without knowing what they will get. More technical and legal details including source documents in their original language are available at that link for those interested in delving deeper. The government welcomes independent academic scrutiny, facilitated by the Research Framework, to assess: the effectiveness of the implementation of industry-led protections how widely these protections are being adopted across the sector; and more broadly, how best to ensure player safety with regards to loot boxes Government response on loot boxes in video games 4.	Loot boxes provide players with the opportunity to pay to open a box and acquire an unknown quantity and quality of in-game items for use within Loot Boxes Simulate Gambling Behavior. According to addictions researchers, loot boxes create dynamics similar to gambling behavior. The New research says there is a clear link between video game boxes and "problem gambling behaviours"	Normally when people discuss gambling in video games, they're talking about loot boxes, the controversial mechanic where people spend money on UK will not ban video games loot boxes despite problem gambling findings Loot boxes in video games will not be banned in the UK, despite a New research says there is a clear link between video game boxes and "problem gambling behaviours"

Loot boxes gambling - Loot boxes are rewards within computer games that can be bought with virtual currencies or real-world money. Concerns have been raised about Loot boxes provide players with the opportunity to pay to open a box and acquire an unknown quantity and quality of in-game items for use within Loot Boxes Simulate Gambling Behavior. According to addictions researchers, loot boxes create dynamics similar to gambling behavior. The New research says there is a clear link between video game boxes and "problem gambling behaviours"

By one estimate, 80 per cent of all digital games revenue came from free-to-play games. This business model works, not because everyone spends money in-game but because there are huge revenues to be made from a small minority who spend a lot.

Roughly half of the over £10 billion spent on loot boxes worldwide each year came from just five per cent of players. Simply put, if the mechanics that make that money are gambling, then the profitable, often underage minority repeatedly spending on them are gambling addicts.

For mobile games things can be even worse. Alex Dale, a former vice president of King, which created Candy Crush , has described how companies use data from Facebook and Google to target adverts at those play and spend money in games.

Restrictions are also less sturdy for mobile games. Instead of the independent PEGI ratings that console games get, mobile games are policed by the very app stores that host them. That can often lead to inconsistent or lacking oversight. Most of the gambling laws that would govern all this are outdated.

For context, in video game terms was the year World of Warcraft was first launched in Europe, Mario Kart for the Nintendo DS was the top-grossing game and the first iPhone was still two years away. And that cuts to the core of the issue — the gaming industry moves fast, far faster than those tasked with regulating it.

While preemptive regulation can risk stifling innovation, any delays in reacting to changes in these industries can be disastrous. A spokesman for Ukie, the national games industry body, said that game companies had "already taken action" on the issue.

Gaming loot boxes are gambling, Lords say. What happens when you ban loot boxes in gaming? Video game loot boxes: Another form of gambling? The gamers spending thousands on loot boxes. Loot boxes: I blew my parents' savings on Fifa. Loot boxes 'link to problem gambling'.

Fortnite boss says game loot boxes 'cause harm'. However, a new government is in the process of being elected, so we cannot be sure what might happen in the Netherlands in the future.

A number of civil court decisions have considered whether loot boxes whose rewards can be transferred to other players and thus possess real-world monetary value would constitute illegal gambling.

If so, players would be entitled to have the money they spent on loot boxes refunded to them. Unfortunately, Austrian judgments from the lower courts are not published, but I have obtained copies of seven relevant decisions concerning loot boxes including appeals. Frankly, the judgments are in conflict with each other because they were decided by different courts: different conclusions were drawn on the same point of law.

However, there were at least two cases where the court decided that loot boxes whose rewards possess real-world monetary value constitute illegal gambling, and that the player was indeed entitled to a refund. The relevant defendant companies have since decided not to challenge the decisions, partly because these did not set any precedents that future courts must follow.

Indeed, other judgments contrarily decided that the same loot boxes would not constitute illegal gambling. These cases were issued by players with support from litigation funders, who have expressed that they would help to bring even more cases.

I would therefore urge companies to be cautious when operating in Austria. In April , the German Protection of Young Persons Act JuSchG was amended to require the German age rating organisation the USK to take into account the presence of 'gambling-like mechanisms' when making age rating decisions.

This became effective from January 1, This change in the law actually led to practical differences. The FIFA now FC video game series by Electronic Arts has always been given the USK age rating of 0 approved with no restrictions.

In contrast, the ESRB and PEGI ratings were unchanged and remain E and 3, respectively. I am personally slightly concerned that a football simulation game with no controversial elements besides the loot boxes is now deemed unsuitable for young people under 12 in Germany.

Some parents may stop taking age rating advice seriously as a result, and I do not think encouraging companies to abandon the youth market by forcing a significantly higher age rating is wise. Young people would have significantly less content to enjoy. It might be a better policy to instead ask companies to also produce a version of the game with no loot boxes for young people and rate that version accordingly this is already technically possible with EA Sports FC 24 by turning off in-game purchasing by default.

A similar stance based on age ratings has been taken in Australia, but the rules are even more prescribed. In Germany, the USK has only been asked to consider loot box presence without demanding a compulsory minimum age rating.

Notably, the M rating is not legally binding, and this distinction between loot boxes and simulated gambling is difficult to draw. Companies intending to offer loot boxes in Australia should ensure that no traditional gambling motifs or allusions are used.

Mainland China was the first to require companies to inform players of the likelihood of obtaining various potential rewards since 1 May Industry stakeholders such as the ESA and Video Games Europe in have demanded that this is done elsewhere as well, meaning that this requirement is technically in force in nearly all countries as industry self-regulation.

Since then, probability disclosures have become increasingly officially required as a matter of law. Taiwan started requiring this from 1 January , and South Korea will require this from 22 March Notably, Taiwan additionally requires a warning message to be attached stating: 'This is a product with a chance to win prizes.

Consumers' purchase or participation in the event does not mean that they will obtain specific products. Outside of Asia, the Dutch and the Italian consumer protection agencies have argued on the basis of EU consumer protection law specifically, national implementations of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive that not disclosing loot box probabilities is a misleading commercial practice, specifically a misleading omission.

The laws in other EU countries are supposed to be the same, so companies operating in this region would be well-advised to make probability disclosures. Indeed, as mentioned, these should be required by industry self-regulation e.