The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld two complaints against Hutch Games, a mobile games developer, regarding the use of loot boxes in the company’s products. Loot boxes – in-game bundles of assets that are purchased for cash, with the contents being unknown until the transaction is completed – are not illegal in UK gaming. However, game developers are required …
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EPIC: Loot box ‘gambling mechanisms’ still present in EA Sports’ FC 24
The consumer protection challenges of loot boxes remain present in EA Sports’ rebranded flagship football title, EPIC Risk Management has asserted. EA Sports FC 24 is the new incarnation of the long-running FIFA franchise, rebranded after EA Sports failed to agree terms with the global governing body of association football. The presence of loot boxes in video games has been …
Read More »‘Step in the right direction’: EPIC praises Ukie’s loot box guidance
The new guidelines from UK video games industry trade body UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie) regarding loot boxes has been welcomed by one of the organisation’s most actively involved in the debate, EPIC Risk Management. Dave Sproson, the consultancy’s Head of Safer Gambling, discussed the topic in a recent blog post and BBC interview. Overall, the group believes that the guidelines …
Read More »DCMS new loot box guidance on enhanced ID controls & fair terms of play
DCMS has published an “update on industry-led improvements and protections” related to loot box interactions/exchanges on video games. The guidance corresponds to the Technical Working Group (TWG) formed by DCMS, following a call-for-evidence consultation response issued in July 2022. The group was tasked with the primary focus of “improving protections for children and adults with regards to loot boxes”. Prior …
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