Don’t play games with an addiction
MP warns parents over the danger of loot boxes
Video games featuring controversial “loot boxes” should be boycotted by parents this Christmas, according to a Scottish MP.
Ronnie Cowan , v ice chai r of Westminster’s committee on gamblingrelated harm, has warned the in-game purchase features could be fuelling gambling addiction in children.
Loot boxes are available in some of the world’s most popular Xbox and PlayStation titles including Fifa, Fortnite and Overwatch.
They offer players a random chance at unlocking new items for their character, such as weapons, appearancee “skins” or vehicles.
Cowa n sa i d : “I t ’s shocking that games containing loot boxes – and therefore an element of gambling at a financial cost – aren’t required to disclose this on either packaging or websites.
“While I’d welcome thiss mandatory addition too packaging, I’d rather see alll gambling elements removedd from games.
“The obvious danger is thatat they normalise gambling in a young audience and that increases their likelihood to gamble later in life with a reduced awareness to the potential harm.
“I’d urge parents to think twice this Christmas about buying video games for teenagers which contain loot boxes and in- game purchases.
“The gaming industry shouldn’t be a vehicle to groom young adults for the gambling industry to exploit later in life.”
A UK Government review of the gambling industry is consideringg whether loot boxes should be bannedd or restricted.
It is estimated that £270million wasas spent on in-game purchases by youngng people in the UK in 2019.9.
Cowan added: “Thehe Gambling Act in its currentent form is outdated and in needeed of a major overhaul.
“I hope the forthcomingming review is not watered down to placate the gambling lobby or fails to properly address gambling-related harm.”
The Gambling Health Alliance (GHA) pressure grougroup has also called for paidpaid- for loot boxes to be classclassed as a form of gambling and bannedb from video games playplayed by under-18s.
It hhas launched a campaign asthasthe Government considers how to tackle the potential harmhar loot boxes have on mentalme health, wellbeing and finances.
ChaC i r man Duncan StephensonSte said: “Our latestlat research suggests video games have slowly and steadily been polluted with gambling features and the law has simply not kept pace.
“Many young people today face a gamble every time they log on to play their favourite game and we’re concerned that this could very wel l normalise gambling for a generation of young people.
“Video gaming is a fun activity for many, particularly during lockdown. But the view from gamers is very clear – the overwhelming majority regard the presence of loot boxes as a form of gambling.”
The danger is that they normalise gambling in a young audience