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Video game gambling schemes known as "loot boxes" or "loot crates" could be banned or restricted by regulators:
We learned last week that Belgium's gambling authority was investigating loot crates in Star Wars Battlefront II over concerns that they constitute gambling. Now, the decision is in, and the answer is a resounding yes, according to Dutch-language publication VTM Nieuws. The commission claims that purchasable add-on boxes, the contents of which are randomized, mix "money and addiction" and thus are a form of gambling.
Belgian Minister of Justice Koen Geens added: "Mixing gambling and gaming, especially at a young age, is dangerous for the mental health of the child." The commission will now reportedly work through the European Union's process to execute a total ban. We've reached out to Belgium's Gaming Commission for more details on its next steps and the legal implications of the ruling.
The country isn't alone in its stance on loot boxes. Just hours ago, Rep. Chris Lee (D) from Hawaii denounced EA's "predatory behavior" in a speech uploaded to YouTube (first spotted by Kotaku). In the clip, Lee also talks of the detrimental affect micro-transactions have on children, with specific reference to Battlefront II, which he describes as a a "Star Wars-themed online casino, designed to lure kids into spending money".
What Are Loot Boxes? Gaming's Big New Problem, Explained
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(Score: 3, Insightful) by realDonaldTrump on Thursday November 23 2017, @07:22PM
We have a national lottery too, a Chuck Schumer beauty, it's called the "Diversity Visa Lottery Program." Sounds nice, it is not nice, it is not good. It hasn't been good and we have been against it. It's a big gamble, a gamble with our safety. The terrorist who did that horrible attack on New York came into our country through it. I want merit based. We're going to quickly as possible get rid of chain migration and move to a merit-based system. Keep the gambling in the casinos! #MAGA 🇺🇸