- The Assembly All Party Group (APG) in Northern Ireland is advocating for restrictions on loot boxes and other gambling mechanics
- While not pushing for a complete ban, the group is urging for gambling to be “severely limited” in games
Pushing for stricter regulations on loot boxes, the APG in Northern Ireland is calling for limitations on this monetization strategy.
The group has proposed that loot boxes and other “gambling mechanics” be structurally regulated and restricted in their availability, believing that Northern Ireland is well-positioned to take the lead in regulating loot boxes.
In particular, the APG is advocating for severe limitations on gambling in video games, stopping short of advocating for an outright ban, as reported by GamesIndustry.biz.
A thorough investigation
The APG’s recommendations stem from an inquiry into the public health impacts of gambling conducted between December 2022 and January 2024. Based on the findings, the group is urging companies to adopt a more thoughtful approach to in-game gambling, such as loot boxes, which have long been a contentious issue.
One of the suggestions put forward by the APG is for companies to provide direct purchase options or ensure that players receive the desired content from a loot box after a certain amount of spending.
While the group recognizes that developers should not bear the full burden of regulatory responsibility, they are advocating for strict, legally mandated regulations focusing on the structural aspects and availability of loot boxes.
Gambling mechanics like these have been under scrutiny for years, with countries like the Netherlands and Belgium banning them as early as 2018. This scrutiny may have led to the removal of Activision Blizzard’s Diablo Immortal from these markets in 2022, although EA’s FIFA Ultimate Team packs were permitted by The Court of The Hague.
The APG report also suggests imposing restrictions on free-to-play social casino games to limit access by minors. One particular title, Monopoly Go!, has significantly boosted the genre’s revenue by 34% year-on-year.