The UK government says the gaming industry must do more to protect vulnerable players from out-of-the-box hazards, and if gaming companies aren’t doing enough to keep players safe, the government won’t hesitate to consider legislation to address it.
The 2020 call for evidence on loot boxes, launched by the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, found that players who bought loot boxes may be more likely to experience “gambling, mental health, financial and gaming-related problems” injuries. Children and young adults may also be at higher risk, it was found.
On Sunday, the government called for children and young people to be unable to buy loot boxes unless they had the approval of a parent or guardian. Culture Minister Nadine Dorries said in a statement: “We want to deter children from spending sprees online, spurred by in-game purchases like loot boxes without parental consent.
Gaming companies and platforms need to do more to ensure the application of controls and age restrictions that protect players from the risk of harm from gambling. Children should be free to enjoy games safely and with the peace of mind of parents and guardians. ”
While Dorries stressed she wants companies to do more to ensure children can’t shop without parental consent, no formal action has been taken to tighten restrictions on e-shopping.
The UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said it planned to set up a working group of gaming companies, platforms and regulators to develop what it called “industry-led measures to protect players and reduce the risk of harm”.
Some examples of this include parental controls, a feature already supported by three major platforms. It said protections should support “a minority of players who spend too much money on loot boxes” who may be at greater risk of injury.
Dr. Jo Twist OBE, chief executive of trade body Ukie, said: “As a responsible industry we are committed to exploring more ways to support players and parents, building on our existing work to develop and raise awareness of parental controls … We look forward to engaging closely with governments and other organizations in the working group and in the framework of video game research.”
Despite calls from players and parents, and the example set by some European countries, the UK government doesn’t appear to be planning to legislate on the issue just yet.
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