Spanish consumer affairs minister criticizes gambling industry before leaving office
Spain's consumer affairs minister, Alberto Garzón, has launched attacks on multiple industries, including gambling and video game loot boxes, since taking office four years ago. Although Garzón has announced his resignation from the government this year, he will not leave without wielding the knife at least once more.
Garzon just announced that this may be the department's last ad campaign. He decided to spend nearly 250,000 euros ($273,625) of taxpayer funds on another attack on video game loot boxes.
These have been the focus of government agencies in recent years and are known to offer potential benefits in the game. In many cases, players don't know what they're getting until they receive the loot box. As a result, loot boxes are gaining traction due to the belief that they are a form of gambling, a sentiment shared by Garzón.
Loot Box – Gateway Drug
The biggest concern that loot boxes or random reward mechanisms cause for opponents is that they can be addictive. They believe they are a gateway for minors to enter other gambling games such as Sports Betting.
These in-game mechanics are common in the video game industry, especially in highly multiplayer games. According to the ministry, more than half of mobile games and 35% of major PC games contain loot boxes.
In this sense, the ministry noted that in Spain, almost 30% of minors aged 11 to 17 use loot boxes or other game mechanics, such as FIFA Ultimate Team player packs. It claims that early initiation of gambling involvement is a meaningful indicator of the severity and/or impact of possible and future gambling problems.
This is despite the fact that there is no concrete evidence to support this theory. Frontiers in Psychology published an article last year that stated: “[Loot box] use is associated with gambling problems in adolescents, but few studies have examined the association between [loot box] use and gambling problems in adolescents. association. Loot boxes] and gaming behavior in young adults, therefore, the mechanisms underlying this relationship are unclear.”
Nonetheless, the Department of Consumer Affairs will use the money for a campaign against loot boxes. The campaign had to develop a strategy for rolling out advertising content on TV, social networks and online radio, as well as developing actions and images also designed by the winning bidder.
Final countdown, countdown
The ministry's goal is to "communicate without panic what [loot boxes] are." They also wanted to "demonstrate the behaviors that using randomized reward mechanics or loot boxes may lead to in both experienced and inexperienced players," the announcement said.
This action is not the first the government has taken to end the practice. Last year, government agencies filed a bill to regulate these incentives. The proposal bans advertising between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. and prohibits minors from purchasing loot boxes. However, it never received legislative approval.
That doesn't mean it can't be revisited. The measure's rejection comes with an asterisk, which would allow it to be reinstated in the future. It will depend on what the Spanish government has to offer.
The country is currently undergoing a shift in the political environment that could bring about fundamental changes before the end of the year. Garzón's decision to leave the country could signal a major shift amid rumors that the government may disband the Ministry of Consumer Affairs entirely.
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Source: www.casino.org
