Tasmanian lawmaker pitches loot box bill

Loot boxes have been a hotly debated topic around the world, and while no government has agreed to equate loot boxes to gambling quite yet, there have been many lawmakers who have raised concerns over the random-like nature of these digital containers and how they award prizes based on a number generator, not unlike most gambling products.

Present in popular games such as Call of Duty, Overwatch, Dota, and many others, loot boxes are now the focus of Tasmanian independent lawmaker Andrew Wilkie’s efforts to protect vulnerable consumers. The MP is now looking to classify all loot box features as R18+ which will effectively bar publishers and video game developers from selling them to underage individuals, or in this case, anyone under the age of 18.

According to Wilkie, loot boxes are for all intents and purposes an "insidious way to gambling," which has been a legitimate concern for many parents, gambling groups, and lawmakers. Wilkie went on to add during his bill pitch that there already was credible evidence based in research that can prove that loot boxes are too much like gambling to be ignored.

There has been a similar chatter in the United States, the United Kingdom and Spain, whereas the Netherland and Belgium have already taken a tougher stance on loot boxes. However, Wilkie is worried that companies are pushing loot boxes despite the risks to children only to make "billions of dollars," which is wrong he explained.

Quoted by The West Australian, Wilkie condemned this practice and said that it encouraged players to spend more money and engage in a risk-taking behavior for a possible reward. According to him, it was easy to establish a link between loot boxes and traditional gambling behavior and activities.

Wilkie is not the only lawmaker who has raised concerns over the use of loot boxes in video games. A fellow lawmaker, Andrew Wallace, has also joined and said that Wilkie’s bill was just and asked the right questions. It’s not so much about making gambling illegal, Wallace added.

Rather, it has to do with protecting people who may be vulnerable and susceptible to gambling and may be unconsciously engaging with gambling-like products or developing problems that are associated with gambling.

In England, the Children’s Commissioner of England has also called for the government to take action on loot boxes as part of the long-delayed Gambling Act Review. However, there is still lack of sufficient support on governmental level to classify loot boxes as a form of gambling outside of the Netherlands and Belgium.

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