Belgium considers loot boxes in video games as a form of gambling.
The controversy surrounding the purchase of random prizes in video games appears to have come to an end. Multiple nations have determined loot boxes to be harmless and not a form of gambling. However, the Gaming Commission in Belgium now disagrees with this opinion and is proposing a ban on such content across the EU.
Recently, the Belgian Gaming Commission started an investigation into the in-game purchases of Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Overwatch. It was believed that the authority would declare these games okay, following the decisions of other countries. But the Belgians had a shocking revelation:
The combination of real money and addictive behavior is equated to gambling. The combination of gambling and gaming poses a risk to a child's mental health, particularly at a young age. Koen Geens, the Belgian Minister of Justice
This bold and explicit decision by the Belgian inquiry panel is a significant blow to the video game industry. The similarities between loot boxes and games of chance have been debated for a while, but the authorities have consistently sided with the developers. Small amounts were involved, there was no promise of monetary winnings, and the total loss of a stake would not happen - these were the justifications given by those responsible.
The fact that Belgium has now taken a different stance is particularly notable. The classification as gambling carries significant consequences. Children and young people, the primary target audience of video games, must not be allowed to participate in games of chance. Instead, they must be protected from this content, as they are unable to defend themselves against addiction. Justice Minister Koen Geens is pushing for an EU-wide ban, which would be disheartening for the video game industry that relies more and more on microtransactions.
Moreover, Geens is sending a blunt message to developers: your games have become slot machines, and they are no longer harmless fun. You are tempting young and addicted individuals to spend exorbitant amounts of money just to obtain what they desire.
The resemblance cannot be ignored
Even without the financial aspect, video games and their addictive properties have faced criticism for some time. Titles like World of Warcraft are considered particularly problematic due to the significant time commitment required. The accusations: only by investing lots of playing time (several hours a day) can certain content be acquired. Seeing the progress of other players creates competition, and for young players, it results in a sense of peer pressure and the feeling of needing to keep up.
Critics argue that the same scheme also applies to loot boxes. The more exclusive items you see in other players' games, the less impressive your own characters seem. So you also spend money on the cheap boxes. Young people in particular have a hard time understanding the developers' manipulation to encourage as many purchases as possible through chance and rarity and end up investing large sums. The persistent opening of worthless loot boxes leads to frustration and the desire to buy more to feel accomplished. If developers continue adding new rare items, this creates a risky cycle that closely resembles the development of "classic" gaming addiction.
Meanwhile, authorities in Germany, the United States, and Canada have denied the gambling nature of such content in their respective investigations on the subject. The phenomenon was not seen as fitting into the respective definitions of gambling in these countries. Money and addiction are intertwined, meaning it's gambling. Therefore, a legal definition could be as simple as that.
The US debate is back
It remains uncertain whether this stance will also be accepted in the EU. But Belgian Minister of Justice Koen Geens is determined: "We will really try," he said in a TV interview. But the issue is also being revisited on the other side of the Atlantic. Chris Lee, a member of the House of Representatives from Hawaii, is advocating a ban on loot boxes, labeling Battlefront 2 a "casino in a Star Wars outfit" that targets children. Lee describes the game as a "child trap" and "dangerous business practices". The distributor of Battlefront 2, the global market leader Electronic Arts, has temporarily disabled all microtransactions due to the overwhelming negative responses to the game.
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Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com