A class action lawsuit was filed against Take-Two due to unfair actions related to loot boxes

Take-Two is facing a new $5 million class action lawsuit related to loot boxes in NBA 2K series games. According to parents, such gambling mechanics deceive young users and mislead them.The lawsuit was initially filed on behalf of a minor player and his guardian on January 11.

On February 25, he was redirected to the Northern District Court of Illinois, Bloomberg reports.

As noted in the statement, loot boxes “psychologically distance” players from the real financial consequences of in-game purchases. Minors do not understand the value of money and virtual currency. In addition, most young players make transactions with their parents’ credit cards and do not realize that such purchases are non-refundable.

“The defendant’s unscrupulous, misleading and illegal actions, including the use of illegal gambling practices, deceive, confuse and harm consumers,” the lawsuit says.

Take-Two itself, which publishes NBA 2K, did not respond to Bloomberg’s request for comment.

The problem of loot boxes in games and their availability to underage users is being actively discussed in different countries. The authorities of Belgium and the Netherlands have already recognized them as a form of gambling and have begun to force publishers to remove this mechanic from their games.

Last year, Germany also proposed a special reform to ban the sale of loot boxes to minors. And Electronic Arts has faced several lawsuits in Canada and the United States due to violations of local gambling laws.