UKGC joins multi-national pledge to tackle loot boxes
Regulators concerned over “blurring of lines” between gambling and gaming
Sixteen regulators, including the UK Gambling Commission, have pledged to work together to address “the blurring of lines” between gaming and gambling seen in mobile and video games.
In a joint declaration, the regulators committed to working together to thoroughly analyse the gambling characteristics of video games and social gaming.
The purpose of the declaration is to enable “an informed dialogue” with the video games and social gaming industries to ensure “appropriate and efficient implementation of our national laws and regulations.”
Signing on behalf of the Gambling Commission, CEO Neil McArthur said: “We have joined forces to call on video games companies to address the clear public concern around the risks gambling and some video games can pose to children.
“We encourage video games companies to work with their gambling regulators and take action now to address those concerns to make sure that consumers, and particularly children, are protected.”
Regulators from Spain, France, Malta, the Netherlands and Washington State also signed the declaration.
The issue of loot boxes and whether they constitute gambling remains unclear in many countries, with some regulators choosing to ban them completely, while others have yet to decide their legal status.
Belgian regulators recently banned four of the biggest games containing loot boxes after research revealed they conformed to the Belgian Gaming Act’s definition of games of chance. However, despite a ban, game publisher Electronic Arts has refused to remove loot boxes from the Belgian versions of its games.
Additional areas of focus for the regulators signing the declaration include skin betting, social casino gaming and the use of gambling-themed content in video games aimed at children.
McArthur added: “We want parents to be aware of the risks and to talk to their children about how to stay safe online. For example, unlicensed websites offering skins betting can pop up at any time and children could be gambling with money intended for computer game products.”