The loot box mechanic is once again making headlines, but thankfully for the right reasons… well we gamers will think so anyway.
An Australian MP is set to introduce a bill in the country that will ban the sale of loot boxes to minors.
Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilke has said that, if successful, ‘The Classification Amendment’ (Loot Box Bill) would block loot boxes being targeted to minors through classification guidelines. Any game with the mechanics will receive an advisory notification ( much like contains strong drug use etc.) and would be tagged with an R18+ rating, meaning that only those over 18 could purchase the game.
In a (paywalled) interview with the Australian Daily Telegraph, Mr Wilke stated that:
We as a country accept that people over the age of 18 can gamble but let’s make that for adults and give parents a warning. Loot boxes groom young children for future gambling.
It’s not clear if that’s what game companies design but it’s self-evident that they have that effect, “To allow very young children to pay cash for a randomised event that may or may not reward them that would meet any definition of gambling
Never Forget…
If successful the bill would join the long list of legislation passed by other countries to curb the sale of loot boxes towards minors. In other countries, including here in the UK, politicians are looking into Loot Boxes and the effect they have on minors and whether they should be regulated and classed as gambling.
Is this another nail in the loot box coffin? Is this the right course of action, or is it a step too far? Let us know in the comments below!
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Literally a giant. Living on the Border, trying to get through my Netflix/Disney+ lists whilst also completing the pile of games I have yet to play