BBC: Nearly all successful mobile games with loot boxes violate advertising regulations in the UK
According to the BBC, only two out of the 26 top-grossing games with loot boxes on Google Play clearly indicate the presence of this mechanic in their British advertisements. The others remain silent about the loot boxes, thereby violating the UK's advertising regulator requirements.
MONOPOLY GO!
The BBC reports that among the violators is Scopely and its published game, MONOPOLY GO! It should be noted that as of July 2024, MONOPOLY GO!'s global revenue exceeded $3 billion.
The UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) told the publication that they strive to monitor violators. Upon discovery, they may ban specific advertising creatives in the country—those without a note on loot boxes will be prohibited.
Previously, for this reason, the ASA mandated Electronic Arts to remove several social media posts advertising Golf Clash. Advertisements for games like 8 Ball Pool and RuneScape were also banned.
Loot box researcher Leon Y. Xiao noted that the BBC's findings align with his observations. By his calculations, 90% of games containing loot boxes do not mention this in their ads. He added that many gaming companies ignore the ASA's requirements and do not comply with the rules because the agency takes too long to analyze violations.
