The Netherlands is moving to pass a bill banning in-game loot boxes due to the links between these microtransactions and gambling.
Loot boxes can be purchased by players of popular games from franchises such as FIFA and Call of Duty, giving them the chance to acquire rare or powerful in-game items. However, these items aren’t guaranteed and the majority of boxes contain common or easy-to-obtain gear.
As reported by VGC, the Netherlands is likely to become the next country to ban the controversial mechanic, following Belgium’s example. The Netherlands is known for its strict gambling laws which also prevent gambling of non-purchasable items such as Twitch’s channel point predictions.
Six political parties have given their support for the bill which will now be passed to the Senate. The motion would ban the inclusion of loot boxes in all games sold in the country. Currently, games containing loot boxes are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. For example, it was decided that Diablo Immortal would not be released in the nation due to its excessive use of loot boxes.
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EA was previously fined €500,000 for every week the company sold loot boxes in its FIFA titles. However, as of March 2022, the fine was repealed. While this decision was recent, the number of politicians behind the new motion means that loot boxes are likely to be banned entirely.
“In video games, children are manipulated into making microtransactions and that loot boxes are also a form of gambling,” the bill claims. It focuses on the marketing of loot boxes towards minors and the impact of this on their families. It continues, “they can get addicted and can burden families with unexpected bills for these transactions”.
In other loot box news, it was announced that over 60% of Activision Blizzard’s revenue comes from microtransactions. The company is one of the world’s largest publishers, which owns loot box heavy games such as Diablo Immortal and Overwatch.
Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
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