Australia wants to classify loot boxes as R 18+

Loot boxes have been the source of much consternation and regulatory deliberation around the globe. In a similar vein, Australia has decided to act and broach the contentious topic once again. As a result, the federal executive government of Australia has issued a new press statement in which it outlines possible new guidelines for the regulation of these digital goods, confirming that under proposed changes, loot boxes will be rated R 18+.

In other words, loot boxes will be restricted and be only available to individuals aged 18 and over. The proposal pitched by the Albanese Government will try to make amendments to the country’s National Classification Scheme, which lawmakers say has fallen behind the rapid expansion of digital goods and services.

All changes will happen as part of the Review of Australian Classification Regulation which will consider other important reforms. In the meantime, games that contain some form of simulated gambling would be rated with M for Mature, which will restrict them to players aged 15 and older. In the official statement, the Albanese Government hopes that it can help protect communities in Australia from gambling harms and unequivocally state that gambling should not in any way reach children.

A similar debate rages on about the pervasiveness of gambling advertisements in digital and physical spaces in Australia, with opponents of advertising in its current form arguing that the time to act is long overdue. In the meantime, the Albanese Government has also quoted the findings of a research published by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, and the Arts which outlines the similarities between loot boxes, and simulated gambling, and problem gambling.

However, the government wants to act in a manner that allows its measures not to hinder the industry from complying with rules. Rather, the federal government is keen to make sure that companies from the industry can self-classify content and stay aligned with the would-be new classification guidelines.

So far, the debate around loot boxes has been bitter, with no particular country going so far as to call them an outright form of gambling. However, concerns among politicians and consumers about the safety of children have grown significantly over the past years. This is why lawmakers are now taking a closer and harder look at what loot boxes are and whether they do lead to harm in young consumers.

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