Industry
December 17, 2024
New Video Games Classification Helps Parents in Australia
Ahead of Christmas, many parents are likely wondering what the best gift for their children would be. While some may consider toys, others, likely responding to children’s requests, may purchase certain video games. In recent years, the lines between gambling and games have been blurring, especially with the introduction of the popular loot boxes that […]
Industry
December 2, 2024
UK Mobile Games Found Violating Loot Box Disclosure Rules
A new BBC study shows many popular mobile games in the UK do not inform players about loot boxes in their ads. This lack of honesty has raised concerns about keeping customers safe as people often compare these kinds of games to gambling and say they target those who are prone to addiction. UK’s Loot […]
Industry
November 21, 2024
Belgium: Study Links Video Game Gambling Features to Teen Gambling
The first-person shooter game by Valve, Half-Life 2 recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. Unlike present-day games, the 2004-released game which is already recognized as classic doesn’t offer the popular loot boxes that grant a chance for a cosmetic item, special weapon or other valuable in-game item. While loot boxes are an inseparable part of most […]
Industry
October 25, 2024
EA Gets a Break in Austria, Arguing Loot Boxes Aren’t Gambling
Electronic Arts (EA) has just won a pivotal court case in Austria, in which the publisher of video games argued that the loot boxes used in FIFA 23 did not constitute gambling. EA Wins Legal Reprieve in Austria in Loot Boxes Cases Loot boxes have been the subject of fierce debate in places such as […]
Industry
October 7, 2024
European Commission Publishes Digital Fairness Fitness Check Findings
The European Commission has published the findings of its Digital Fairness Fitness Check, which probed into the current EU consumer protection laws to see if they are fit to protect consumers from harm. The commission learned that online companies have been unfairly influencing customers by various suspicious tactics. Improvements Are Needed The Fitness Check covered […]
Industry
September 18, 2024
Australia to Introduce New Guidelines for Games with Loot Boxes and Gambling
Australia has created new classification guidelines for video games that contain gambling-like content. This addition comes amid growing concerns about Australia’s gambling harm rates and worries about potential links between video games containing gambling-like mechanics and gambling addiction. The New Measure Aligns with Australia’s Efforts to Protect Younger Citizens from Harm The new measure would […]
Industry
March 5, 2024
German Regulator Wants Stricter Rules for Loot Boxes
Last September, we announced that Germany was taking into consideration a series of strict regulations regarding the use of loot boxes in video games. Now, the German gambling regulator Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), also referred to as the Joint Gambling Authority of the States in English, has asked the federal states to thoroughly review […]
Esports
December 20, 2023
Court Says Valve Must Repay $15K to Gamer over Loot Boxes
The case continues the ongoing debate about whether or not loot boxes constitute gambling and how they should be regulated. The court, though, has recognized loot boxes as a form of gambling, and this is doubly important as it would contribute to setting a legal precedent and be used in other similar cases. Spent on […]
Legal
September 29, 2023
Germany Considers Robust Regulations for Loot Boxes
Over the last decade, the popularity of loot boxes in video games has grown exponentially. While a majority of the audiences of video games remain children, the growing popularity of loot boxes raises concerns regarding their addictive mechanics that represent activity similar to online slots. Across Europe, loot boxes are under fire, with different countries […]
Legal
September 26, 2023
Australia Pushes Age Classification for Gambling Games and Loot Boxes
Loot boxes are a part of many popular modern video games. The feature offers an activity that is similar to a game of chance where players can open, unlock or break a loot box and receive a random prize. Australia is the latest country to implement changes related to loot boxes as a part of […]