United States
United Kingdom
Summary
- EPIC cited worrying results of a survey on the impact of loot boxes on UK minors
- UK government must prohibit loot boxes being sold to under-18s
- EPIC wants the UK government to address the issue as a matter of urgency
EPIC Risk Management, the world’s leading gambling harm reduction consultancy organization is calling on the government to implement tougher restrictions on a video game feature referred to as “loot boxes“.
EPIC is joining calls for a ban on the sale of this emerging product to under-18s, citing the impact it has had on the gambling behavior of UK minors.
A similar measure is already in effect in other European countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands.
Survey Exposes Terrifying Impact of Loot Boxes on Children
A recent survey conducted by EPIC shows that 30% of UK schoolchildren had bought loot boxes or video game skins. A further 19% had participated in gambling within the past 12 months, 5% of whom are at risk of developing a gambling issue. What’s more worrying is that 3% could already be categorized as being affected by gambling-related harm.
The survey also found that a huge percentage of under-18s consider loot boxes part of their gambling experience. EPIC’s survey was participated in by 1,793 children across 31 schools in the UK.
In a recent address to the House of Lords, Jonathan Peniket, gaming and eSports consultant with EPIC Risk Management, said the survey results reveal the terrifying true scale of the loot box gambling issue.
Loot Box Issue Must Be Addressed Urgently
Peniket is calling on the government to push through with a previous proposal from the House of Lords Gambling Committee in July 2020 to prohibit the sale of loot boxes in video games. Peniket also highlighted the need for enhanced awareness and education for parents and guardians on these controversial products.
EPIC Risk Management finds it disappointing that the UK has yet to act on this serious issue, considering that its neighboring countries have already moved to regulate the sale of the product, some even prohibiting its sale to underage children.
In September 2020, the UK government launched a call for evidence on the impact of loot boxes amid concerns the product might result in problem gambling among younger players.
Loot boxes are in-game assets that can be purchased via virtual or real-world currency. They can be used to upgrade the player’s gaming experience. The items are rewarded randomly, meaning players are entirely clueless about which item they’ll get until they have opened the boxes.
This particular aspect can be akin to gambling as it involves an element of chance. Peniket said there has been no update yet regarding the call for evidence and is pushing hard for loot boxes to be regulated to prevent any further damage it might cause to children in the UK.
