Loot boxes have quickly gained a negative focus from gamers, being perceived as “pay to win rewards.” This has become a growing concern for lawmakers for a different reason, as they could also be perceived as a form of gambling targeted at minors. Australia has taken a proactive step to limit access to these loot boxes by setting age restrictions.
The new regulations require that any person purchasing videogame loot boxes will have to show an ID. According to the Office of the eSafety Commissioner, access to these boxes and other simulated gambling elements in computer or video games will be restricted to “adults aged 18 years or over, including through the use of mandatory age verification.”
Australia isn’t the first country to try and legislate against the practice. U.S. Senator Josh Hawley has introduced a bill that would ban the sale of loot boxes to minors, despite taking criticism from gaming industry leaders.
Games industry leaders aren’t a fan. ESA CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis, attacked the U.S. bill. “This legislation is flawed and riddled with inaccuracies,” he said. “It does not reflect how video games work nor how our industry strives to deliver innovative and compelling entertainment experiences to our audiences. The impact of this bill would be far-reaching and ultimately prove harmful to the player experience, not to mention the more than 220,000 Americans employed by the video game industry.”