Should loot boxes be banned?

- Web links, documents and video clips

On December 23, 2020, pocketgamer.biz published a report titled 'Report: 31% of young gamers don't know how much they spend on loot boxes'
The report states, 'New research from the Gambling Health Alliance (GHA) has found that 31 per cent of 11-to-16-year-old gamers have lost track of how much they spend on loot boxes.'
The full report can be accessed at

On November 3, 2020, Fasken published a report titled 'Opening Pandora's Loot Box? Canadian Class Action Lawsuit Over Loot Boxes May Provide Guidance On The Legality of Loot Boxes in Canada'
The report refers to a class action lawsuit filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia seeking reimbursement of "loot box" payments made by class members to Electronic Arts Inc. and Electronic Arts (Canada) Inc.
The article argues that the result of the claim will clarify the legal situation of loot boxes in Canada.
The report can be accessed at

On October 29, 2020, PC Games Insider published a report titled 'Netherlands Gambling Authority fines EA $5.86m over FIFA loot boxes'
The report details that US publishing giant Electronic Arts is being fined �5m ($5.86m) by the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) for selling loot boxes for its FIFA football titles.
The full report can be found at

On October 23, 2020, The University of Richmond's Journal of Law and Technology published an article titled 'Loot Boxes: A New Way to Gamble' by Megan Haugh.
The article examines several of the most popular games and reveals that they incorporate loot boxes. It notes that in 2019, the University of York reviewed the most popular video games on Steam (an online video game retailer) and found that seventy-one percent contained these loot boxes.

On September 29, 2020, the International Bar Association published a report titled 'Gaming: chorus of concerns over 'loot boxes' and gambling'
The report detailed a recommendation from the British House of Lords that loot boxes be classified as gambling and restricted accordingly.
The full text can be accessed at

On September 29, 2020, pocketgamer.biz published a report titled 'EA removes monetisation ad from kids' magazine' which explained that Electronic Arts has removed the advertisement found in Smyths Toys magazine regarding FIFA Points. An EA spokesperson has explained to PocketGamer.biz that the advertisement should not have appeared, and that the company is now reviewing all future media placements.
The full report can be found at

On September 29, 2020, gamesindustry.biz published a report by its United Kingdom editor, James Bachelor, titled 'EA under fire for promoting FIFA loot boxes in toy catalogue'. The report detailed a promotion for 'player packs' in the FIFA Ultimate Team game within a toy store catalogue. In-store placement also pushed the use of FIFA points and specifically advertised wallet top-ups for the PlayStation Store.

On September 12, 2019, BBC News Newsbeat published a report titled 'Gaming loot boxes: What happened when Belgium banned them?'
The report examines advantages and disadvantages of loot boxes.
The full text of the report can be accessed at

On September 12, 2019, The Guardian published a report titled 'Video game loot boxes should be classed as gambling, says Commons'. The report noted that a British House of Commons report had advised that video game loot boxes should be regulated as gambling and children barred from purchasing them.
The full text can be accessed at

On June 29, 2019, Techspot published a reported titled 'EA believes "surprise mechanics" and loot boxes are 'quite ethical and quite fun'
The report quoted extensively from testimony given by Entertainment Arts executives justifying their company's use of loot boxes before a United Kingdom Parliamentary Committee.
The full text of the report can be accessed at

On June 19, 2019, the British House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee release transcripts of evidence given before its
Immersive and addictive technologies hearing by Entertainment Arts executives. The executives were justifying their company's use of loot boxes and similar devices.
The full transcripts can be accessed at

On February 28, 2019, WordPress.Com published a comment by Dr Mark Griffiths, Professor of Behavioural Addiction at Nottingham Trent University, titled '(Loot) boxing clever? Has child and adolescent problem gambling really risen in the UK?'.
Dr Griffiths argues that the increase in problem gambling among adolescents may be attributable to the increase in simulated gambling in videogames.
The full text can be accessed at

On November 27, 2018, the Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications released a report on 'Gaming micro-transactions for chance-based items'.
The Committee recommended 'The committee recommends that the Australian Government undertake a comprehensive review of loot boxes in video games.'
The full report can be accessed at

On April 27, 2018, Metro column Game Central published a comment and analysis titled 'Why loot boxes in video games are here to stay'
The column proposes that loot boxes generate far too much income for game manufacturers and have become too much a part of the industry's operational model for them to be removed.
The full text of the article can be accessed at

On December 18, 2017, The Sun published a comment by Dr Mark Griffiths, Professor of Behavioural Addiction at Nottingham Trent University. The comment was titled 'How your kids are being turned into gambling addicts by video game "loot boxes" right under your nose'
The report examines the addictive properties of in-game microtransactions for children.
The full text of the comment can be accessed at