Australia may ban the sale of games with loot boxes to minors

Loot boxes remain an urgent topic for legislators. In Australia, it is proposed to prohibit the sale of all games with this mechanic to persons under 18 years of age. There are also plans to start checking the age of users online.

Work: Paul Chambers

Australian MPs from the Commission on Social Policy and Legal Affairs have prepared a report on the protection of children from gambling and pornography.

There are six key proposals in it. Two of them concern games.

First, they recommended finding a way to “restrict access to loot boxes in computer and video games to people who have already turned 18, including by labeling.”
Secondly, representatives of the Australian legislature advised the government to introduce the practice of mandatory age verification online in accordance with the existing reality.

Simply put, the deputies want teenagers to be unable to buy or get acquainted with gaming content if it has loot boxes or any other gambling mechanics. One of the tools that will help in completely restricting access will be online age verification.

How exactly it will be implemented and whether it will be at all is still an open question. So far, the Commission only recommends that one of the state technical agencies take up the development of verification standards.

Now loot boxes in Australia are not classified as gambling. However, in September of the year before last, the Commission on Environment and Communications concluded in a study that the influence of loot boxes on players is psychologically similar to the influence that gambling has. She also suggested limiting the sale of games with loot boxes.

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Australia may ban the sale of games with loot boxes to minors

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