The Report into Loot Boxes in Australia is Delayed till October

Added: September 18, 2018

The report on the status of loot boxes in Australia was due yesterday. However, the Senate  extended the investigating citing additional hearings to be had with the relevant stakeholders. The new date is set for October 17.

Study into the Effects of Loot Boxes on Australians

The Australian Senate started investigating the impact of video game loot boxes and whether they constituted gambling in June. This comes after several countries have gone as far as banning certain video games because of the precious commodity being exchanged among players and given a monetary value. The research was headed by Dr. David Zendle and Dr. Paul Cairns, in which almost 7500 users participated.

The findings of the report argued that loot boxes posed a danger to people who have a gambling problem. The assertion of the report is that loot boxes carry the potential of gambling-related harm for Australians. It associates the trading of loot boxes to fit the ‘psychological criteria’ of other forms of gambling. This is in direct contradiction of the developers of loot boxes that contend that loot boxes are not harmful, they take on a similar trait such as trading baseball card.

Remedial Action Suggested by the Report

The full report suggests that games that include loot boxes ought to be branded with a parental advisory indicator. Since they act as a gateway to problem gambling, it was suggested that it be made known that in-game gambling content exists in the game. The committee also proposed that video games that contained loot boxes consist of age restrictions, akin to the legal gambling age in Australia.

Earlier this year, Dutch authorities determined that video game with loot boxes constituted illegal gambling and violated its gambling laws. It proposed that changes to the game be made or a possible ban for video game developers such as Electronic Arts. A similar move was taken by the Belgian government, with China and Japanese gaming regulators also taking a firm stance against loot boxes. While we wait for the verdict, players can find legal online casino games here on our recommended casino sites below.