The British opposed the loot boxes in the games
In the UK, a group of citizens demanded that the government equate loot boxes (sets with random game content) in video games with gambling and restrict access to them to minors.
The drafters of the petition claim that loot boxes should be considered a form of gambling, since gamers often buy them for real money, but the items extracted from the loot box often cost less than they were paid for.
The initiative to regulate loot boxes gained about 14 thousand votes on the website of the British Parliament.
The Department of Culture, Media and Sports of the UK government, in response to the petition, officially announced that it does not regard loot boxes as a type of gambling activity.
Along with this, the government noted that they are concerned about the convergence of video games and gambling.
“If game items can be sold or exchanged outside of the game platform, they acquire monetary value. To legally use such items in gambling in the UK, you need a license from the Gambling Commission. If there is no license, the Commission has a wide range of powers to regulate these issues,” wrote Tracy Crouch, a member of the UK Parliament, in response to the appeal.
Previously, the British Interactive Entertainment Association (UKIE) and the rating organizations ESBR and PEGI refused to consider loot boxes as a type of gambling.
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