The loot box debate has died down somewhat in the past couple of month but the authorities are still looking at their impact. The Dutch Gaming Authority could be about to make a move on some games they deem to be violating their gambling laws.
According to an article on NOS, the Dutch Gaming Authority has looked at ten games and have identified that games, where items can be sold for real money on third-party sites, are violating their gambling laws because items have monetary value. Games mentioned in the article include Fifa 18, Dota2, PUBG and Rocket League although the Gaming Authority has remained tightlipped on the names of all the games they are targetting.
The Dutch Gaming Authority has now given the developers of the games they have identified as problematic eight weeks to change the game to comply with their gambling laws or they could be fined or the game eventually removed from sale. If the games are not modified then the Gaming Authority will reveal all the games they seem to be in violation of their laws.
A spokesperson for the Gaming Authority was also critical of games that sell loot boxes which cannot be exchanged for real money saying that they could encourage real gambling due to the way in which they are presented in-game.
“They are designed as gambling games are designed, with the feeling that you have almost won,” says Marja Appelman, director of the Gaming Authority. “There are all sorts of sound effects and visual effects when you open such a loot box, so you have a tendency to play through and through.”
Lootboxes are unlikely to go away any time soon until laws are enforced, they are just too profitable for publishers.
