Sixteen international gambling regulators are teaming up to address gambling and loot boxes in video games with a new  declaration, according to the UK Gambling Commission.

Fifteen gambling regulators from Europe, as well as Washington State Gambling Commission, signed an agreement to work together to address the “risks created by the blurring of lines between gaming and gambling,” according to Gambling Commission It also plans to tackle third-party websites that offer players the chance to gamble or sell in-game items.

Various countries have determined that loot boxes create a temptation in some players to keep purchasing in hopes of getting better loot due to the randomized nature and the rewarding visual effects that come with opening new boxes.

Certain countries, like Belgium and the Netherlands, have already taken measures including officially declaring loot boxes as  gambling. Those countries even had players  unable to open loot boxes in “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” (CS:GO) due to some players selling rare skins and other in-game items on third-party websites, sometimes for large sums of actual money. Another measure was taken by popular games selling platform Steam, as Valve  removed the ability to trade items in “CS:GO” and “Dota 2” on its platform to comply with gambling regulations in June.

Sixteen international gambling  regulators are teaming up to address gambling and  loot boxes in video games with a new declaration, according to the  UK Gambling Commission.

Fifteen gambling regulators from Europe, as well as Washington State Gambling Commission, signed an agreement to work together to address the “risks created by the blurring of lines between gaming and gambling,” according to Gambling Commission It also plans to tackle third-party websites that offer players the chance to gamble or sell in-game items.

Various countries have determined that  loot boxes create a temptation in some players to keep purchasing in hopes of getting better loot due to the randomized nature and the rewarding visual effects that come with opening new boxes.

Certain countries, like Belgium and the Netherlands, have already taken measures including officially declaring loot boxes as  gambling. Those countries even had players  unable to open loot boxes in “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” (CS:GO) due to some players selling rare skins and other in-game items on third-party websites, sometimes for large sums of actual money. Another measure was taken by popular games selling platform Steam, as Valve  removed the ability to trade items  in “CS:GO” and “Dota 2” on its platform to comply with gambling regulations in June.

https://variety.com/2018/gaming/news/european-us-gambling-regulators-against-loot-boxes-1202943991/