Free-to-play games, be afraid: the government has approved a draft law on loot boxes

The regulation of loot boxes and other forms of micro-monetization in video games has been a topic of discussion for a long time. Although there is always talk of taking action, it never materializes into anything. This is a shame, considering how problematic these practices can be. But the Spanish government seems to have finally decided to do something about it.

According to what we’ve learned, the Council of Ministers in Spain has approved a draft law for a new organic law to protect minors in digital environments. Although the law goes beyond this, one of the objectives of said law is to prohibit access by minors and adolescents to loot boxes, which are the norm in numerous games, whether free-to-play or not. This includes not only loot boxes, but also any system that dispenses randomized rewards, such as ‘gachas’.

This measure focuses primarily on minors because this gaming trend is considered to be a gateway for young people to start gambling. The government pointed out that “based on the most recent prevalence studies, almost 24% of minors between the ages of 15 and 17 purchased ‘loot boxes’ within the last year”. A figure that justifies the management of this type of product.

The problem behind loot boxes is that, although they may seem harmless, these practices are harmful, particularly for minors, because they use the same logic as slot machines. You put in money and, if you’re lucky, you receive a prize. And while it’s true that videogame companies have historically shielded themselves by arguing that we always receive something in return for our successes, and thus it shouldn’t be considered gambling, experts insist that loot boxes and ‘gachas’ operate on the same logic. Which makes the excessive consumption of these reward systems likely and could reasonably initiate a gambling problem among young people.

If this law were to be approved, both traditional loot-box video games and ‘gacha’ games would have to make changes to their model in order to legally exist in Spain. Whether that would mean asking users to verify that they are 18 years or older is something that remains to be seen. But what is evident is that it’s time to do something about the situation.

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