GambleAware has urged the incoming government of the United Kingdom to consider legislative action on the usage of loot boxes in video games in order to provide more protection for children and adolescents.
Loot Boxes Re-Examined
The present government released its conclusions from a September 2020 call for evidence last week, which solicited opinions on how to best address in-game elements.
Loot boxes enable players to pay real money for a box that grants them access to random in-game things, such as power-ups and virtual apparel, that improve their ability to compete.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) did not implement an outright ban on loot boxes, but game creators were urged to take extra precautions to safeguard players.
In response to the white paper, GambleAware expressed satisfaction that the government had acknowledged the risks linked with loot boxes. It highlighted that forty per cent of children who play video games utilise loot boxes, which it believes is normalising gambling-like practices.
GambleAware expressed satisfaction that the government had acknowledged the risks linked with loot boxes.
In the future, however, the next administration of the United Kingdom, which will be named shortly following the resignation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, should explore legislative action on their use, particularly concerning limiting children's and adolescents' access.
The organisation stated that research has revealed that loot boxes are psychologically similar to gambling; consequently, more adequate protection would help prevent future gambling-related injuries.
Gambling is a part of the daily lives of children and adolescents, and youngsters are believed to be more susceptible to gambling-related harm due to others' gambling and their own engagement.
According to the National Audit Office, around 55,000 children aged 11 to 16 in the United Kingdom are experiencing gambling-related harm, with an additional 85,000 believed to be at risk.
We feel that more must be done to avoid harm among children and young people and anticipate the publication of the Video Games Research Framework later this year. This should guide and advise legislation to safeguard children and adolescents from gambling-related harms resulting from video games.
The answer comes after UK Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza came out against loot boxes in video games last week, calling them "inappropriate" and requesting that they be included in the UK Gambling Act's definition of gambling.
According to De Souza, clause six of the Gambling Act should be amended to include loot boxes, thereby regulating them.
