House of Lords asks MPs to act "immediately" to bring loot boxes within Gambling laws

WYP · #1 02-07-20, 04:56 PM

'if a product looks like gambling and feels like gambling, it should be regulated as gambling' - says the report

Read more about the House of Lords asking MPs to bring Loot boxes under gambling law.

Greenback · #2 02-07-20, 05:13 PM

He said on the radio today, if it looks like gambling, feels like gambling it is gambling

Dicehunter · #3 02-07-20, 05:25 PM

While I don't usually agree with the HOL due to them being a fully unelected house of millionaires who can sway which laws go through, This is something I can get behind.

g0ggles1994 · #4 02-07-20, 05:48 PM

EA are going to kick up a hell of a storm about this since the UK is one of their biggest markets for FIFA and Ultimate Team.

Honestly, if a game has loot boxes in any manner that can be obtained using real money it should be immediately slapped with a gambling notification and an 18+ certification.

Dark NighT · #5 02-07-20, 06:16 PM

But but but Surprise mechanics isn't gambling, nice try EA xD

Good decision tho

Greenback · #6 02-07-20, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark NighT

But but but Surprise mechanics isn't gambling, nice try EA xD

Good decision tho

I wonder if that was something that made them decide to bring in laws, Ea showing they couldn't police themselves

demonking · #7 03-07-20, 04:40 PM

Nice!
I was one of those annoying people that wrote to my local MP about this.
I personally hope they tax the life out of them on these, make it so that this sort of mechanic is not profitable for them and be in and out of court for the next decade defending how they are not exposing children to gambling.
The great thing about this is that the law requires that they police there own gambling environments, simply whacking an 18 certificate on a game won't be enough to satisfy the law on this. they will be liable for any under age gambling that occurs on their services, not parents or vendors or any 3rd party. and obtain a new licence every time they change or introduce anything different to the original licence application. New skins in a loot box? well that needs a new licence, want to put these on sale? new licence for that. This is a big big win if it goes through, though as was said previously, I have no faith in the entitled millionaires that are our "lords"