By Adam Hood – Kirklees Local TV Contributor
The Government has called for evidence on loot boxes’ impact in video games due to concerns that they encourage and can lead to gambling in children and adults.
‘Loot boxes’ are in-game purchases you can obtain with virtual or real-world currency that give the player a randomized virtual item.
These items will generally be used to improve the player’s experience and will generally be a cosmetic item for their character’s appearance.
A player will not know what they are getting from a loot box until they have opened. That chance element used in loot boxes has raised concerns with the Government in that it could encourage gambling-like behaviour, especially in young people.
Due to people spending more time online, and as the industry itself as well as players’ habits evolve, the call for evidence is to help the Government understand the positive and negative consequences that people will experience with loot boxes in video games.
The hope is that with a better understanding of the culture and experiences people have around loot boxes, the government will be able to better regulate them in the same way that gambling is.
The Government first announced its call for evidence back in June. The reason they are more concerned with people’s engagement recently is likely because of lockdowns.
Many people of all ages have been spending more time than ever inside and on video games that have these loot boxes. That is why the Government have been asking for the experiences of players along with data and research from video games companies, academia, civil society, and any other organizations with interest in this issue.
The findings from this call to evidence will give the Government a clearer understanding of the loot boxes’ scale and in the game purchase market in the UK.
They will gain knowledge of how it operates and the impact of current protections for gamers, such as parental controls and consumer regulations.
All in all, loot boxes would be considered alongside a review of the Gambling Act.
Other countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands have already banned loot boxes under their own gambling laws.
If the UK does move to take action against loot boxes, publishers will likely fight tooth and nail to oppose any such changes.
Minister for Digital and Culture Caroline Dinenage said: “Our valued video game industry is making good progress developing safer environments for our children to play in, such as parental controls that can be set to schedule and limit playtime.
“But we’ve listened to parents’ concerns about loot boxes, and it’s right that we fully examine and understand any evidence of the harm or links to problem gambling they can cause, so we can decide if action is needed.”
Currently, Video games are played by over half the population, and the video game sector is a vital part of the UK’s world-leading creative industries.
The industry contributed £2.6 billion to the economy in 2018 and employed 27,000 people in 2019. It has grown more than 16 times faster than the broader UK economy since 2010.
The Government has also stated that it will undertake a further study in the broader impact of video games on people’s behaviour. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport will set a framework for research informed by workshops with academia and the industry.
The call for evidence will be open until November 22, 2020, and any evidence can be submitted on the government’s website.