MP takes aim at video game loot boxes

A new private member’s bill from independent MP Andrew Wilkie aims to make any games with loot boxes strictly adults-only

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie has introduced a new private member’s Bill to parliament, seeking to restrict video games that contain loot boxes to players over the age of 18.

In video games, a loot box (also called a loot crate or prize crate) is a consumable virtual item which can be redeemed to receive a randomised selection of further virtual items, or loot, ranging from simple customization options for a player’s avatar or character to game-changing equipment such as weapons.

The Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (Loot Boxes) Bill 2022, according to an explanatory memorandum circulated by Wilkie, “seeks to regulate how computer, video and online games which contain ‘loot boxes’ are classified”. The MP claims that loot boxes offer the same emotional response in people as poker machines and other gambling activities.

If passed, the new bill would restrict games that feature loot boxes of any kind to players over 18 years of age. The text of the bill would require the Classification Board to set a minimum classification for all games containing the feature to R18+ or RC (refused classification), which would require retailers and digital distributors to verify the age of all purchasers.

The bill also aims to require a warning to be displayed on video game boxes, as well as on digital storefronts, warning parents, guardians, and potential buyers that a game contains loot boxes or similar gambling mechanics.

Loot boxes come in many forms, such as the traditional box, a random spinner or wheel, or as summons or eggs in-game. Picture: Dr Alex Russell

Loot boxes have come under fire from multiple countries’ legislators in recent years over their potential for harm in children, with some claiming that it normalises gambling. The term “loot box” generally refers to a purchasable item in a video game for which the contents are unknown and randomly selected. Items that are contained in loot boxes are usually weighted to make some potential “drops” more or less common.

While loot boxes tend to be more common in mobile games, where they are sometimes referred to as “gacha” games, console and PC games have seen the use of them skyrocket in the last decade. Loot boxes commonly contain player cosmetics or “skins”, and can often be bought for real money or sometimes earned in-game. Many items in loot boxes are only available for a limited time, which some say causes players to spend more than they usually would in order to prevent missing out.

Genshin Impact is often referred to as a “gacha” game, where characters are unlocked by random chance through loot boxes. Picture: miHoYo

In related news, some players have accused Overwatch 2’s discounts of being “illegal” in Australia, pointing to the ACCC’s guidelines for misleading or false claims about discounts and sales. Overwatch 2, which also features loot boxes, was reportedly selling a skin for newest hero Kiriko at a discounted price, which may be a breach of ACCC rules, since the skin never had the opportunity to be bought at the regular listed price.

Dodgy discounts and potentially harmful loot boxes haven’t stopped players from flocking to the game, however, as it was revealed that Overwatch 2 broke 35 million players in its launch month. For reference, the first game in the series, Overwatch, took three months to attract approximately 15 million players, so Overwatch 2’s switch to free-to-play seems to be working well for it.

Written by Oliver Brandt on behalf of GLHF.