Six Dutch political parties unite behind proposed loot box ban
The Netherlands could be the next country to ban loot boxes in video games, as multiple political parties unite behind the bill which would see the country outlaw randomised in-game purchases.
Themotion, first posted toResetEra by user Poklane, would still have to move through the country’s Senate, however, due to such bi-partisan support of the bill, it seems incredibly unlikely to fail, meaning The Netherlands would join Belgium in its ban of loot boxes.
The motion claims that “in video games, children are manipulated into making microtransactions and that loot boxes are also a form of gambling”.
It goes on to claim that as a result of these payments, “they can get addicted and can burden families with unexpected bills for these transactions”.
Calls from across Europe to ban loot boxes are growing louder and pressure mounts on games companies to remove them from their most popular titles, such as FIFA and NBA 2K.
Last month,20 consumer groups from 18 European countries launched a coordinated action asking authorities to pass regulations on loot boxes.
The consumer groups are calling for a number of measures, including “a ban on the deceptive design, extra protections for minors, and transactional transparency”.
In July 2020, following repeated calls for action from the government, the House of Lords recommended that the UK government “act immediately to bring loot boxes within the remit of gambling legislation and regulation”.
In April 2018, the Belgian Gaming Commission found that loot boxes, such as those sold for real currency in FIFA’s Ultimate Team mode, constituted gambling.
The Commission then went as far as recommending criminal prosecution against companies which continued to sell them in their games.
As a result, games
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