{"id":60751,"date":"2017-10-14T14:00:42","date_gmt":"2017-10-14T21:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=60751"},"modified":"2017-10-14T05:50:03","modified_gmt":"2017-10-14T12:50:03","slug":"loot-boxes-not-gambling-says-us-video-games-regulator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/loot-boxes-not-gambling-says-us-video-games-regulator\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Loot Boxes’ Not Gambling, Says US Video Games Regulator"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cLoot-boxes\u201d have become a divisive issue in the video-gaming world in recent months but they do not constitute gambling, according to the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), the industry self-regulator.<\/p>\n

\"\u201cLoot
Games like Stars Wars Battle Front 2 have been criticized for their use loot-boxes and micropayment mechanics but these elements cannot be classified of gambling because there is no stake involved, says regulator. (Image: EA Dice\/Lucasfilm)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These are the consumable in-game boxes that offer the player randomized chances to win more virtual items or skills.<\/p>\n

They have traditionally existed as a form of monetization, typically for freemium mobile and social gaming, encouraging players to pay microtransactions for virtual goods.<\/p>\n

But gamers are aggrieved at their increasing deployment within premium new releases. In this month alone, major new titles like Middle Earth: Shadow of War<\/em> and Star Wars Battlefront 2<\/em> have employed loot boxes that require the player to make in-game microtransactions, despite the fact that the games themselves will set you back $60 to buy in the first place.<\/p>\n

The Compulsion Loop<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Loot boxes are designed to form a \u201ccompulsion loop\u201d to keep players engaged, and financially invested, in the game and, as such, they have been compared to slot machines<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cESRB does not consider loot boxes to be gambling,\u201d said an ESRB spokesperson told Kotaku<\/em>. \u201cWhile there\u2019s an element of chance in these mechanics, the player is\u00a0always\u00a0<\/em>guaranteed to receive in-game content, even if the player unfortunately receives something they don\u2019t want.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Several countries in Asia have already banned such mechanics under gambling laws<\/a> and influential video-gaming YouTubers have been suggesting ESRB to do the same.<\/p>\n

But with a lack of a stake involved, the organization believes the use of loot boxes cannot be classified as \u201creal gambling\u201d at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe think of it as a similar principle to collectible card games: Sometimes you\u2019ll open a pack and get a brand new holographic card you\u2019ve had your eye on for a while. But other times you\u2019ll end up with a pack of cards you already have.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Adults Only<\/strong><\/h2>\n

ESRB is tasked with rating the majority of video games published in North America. It uses letter grades, such as \u201cM\u201d for \u201cMature,\u201d or \u201cE\u201d for \u201cEveryone,\u201d as well as offering brief descriptions of content, like \u201cBlood and Gore,\u201d \u201cNudity,\u201d etc. It also distinguishes between \u201cReal Gambling\u201d and \u201cSimulated Gambling\u201d in its classification criteria.<\/p>\n

\u201cReal Gambling\u201d must involve wagering a stake, which is classified as something of value that is being put at risk. \u201cSimulated Gambling\u201d is where the player \u201ccan gamble without betting or wagering real cash or currency.\u201d<\/p>\n

Any game that includes real gambling automatically receives an \u201cAdults Only\u201d rating and would be something the major games publishers would avoid as most retailers would not sell it in their outlets, the ESRB spokesperson said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cLoot-boxes\u201d have become a divisive issue in the video-gaming world in recent months but they do not constitute gambling, according to the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), the industry self-regulator. These are the consumable in-game boxes that offer the player randomized chances to win more virtual items or skills. They have traditionally existed as a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":60752,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,3312,60],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n'Loot Boxes' Not Gambling, Says US Video Games Regulator<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The rise of loot boxes in games like Middle Earth: Shadow of War and Star Wars Battlefront 2 may be annoying but they certainly aren\u2019t gambling, says ESRB.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"'Loot Boxes' Not Gambling, Says US Video Games Regulator\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The rise of loot boxes in games like Middle Earth: Shadow of War and Star Wars Battlefront 2 may be annoying but they certainly aren\u2019t gambling, says ESRB.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/loot-boxes-not-gambling-says-us-video-games-regulator\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Casino.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Casino.OrgNews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-10-14T21:00:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-10-14T12:50:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/star-wars-battlefront-II-preorder_pdp_3840x2160_en_WW.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Casino.org Staff Writer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Casino.org Staff Writer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/loot-boxes-not-gambling-says-us-video-games-regulator\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/loot-boxes-not-gambling-says-us-video-games-regulator\/\",\"name\":\"'Loot Boxes' Not Gambling, Says US Video Games Regulator\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/loot-boxes-not-gambling-says-us-video-games-regulator\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/loot-boxes-not-gambling-says-us-video-games-regulator\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/star-wars-battlefront-II-preorder_pdp_3840x2160_en_WW.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-10-14T21:00:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-10-14T12:50:03+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/8c48bf89dc86da77b4d856c7b3b78d77\"},\"description\":\"The rise of loot boxes in games like Middle Earth: Shadow of War and Star Wars Battlefront 2 may be annoying but they certainly aren\u2019t gambling, says ESRB.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/loot-boxes-not-gambling-says-us-video-games-regulator\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/loot-boxes-not-gambling-says-us-video-games-regulator\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/loot-boxes-not-gambling-says-us-video-games-regulator\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/star-wars-battlefront-II-preorder_pdp_3840x2160_en_WW.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/star-wars-battlefront-II-preorder_pdp_3840x2160_en_WW.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"Games like Stars Wars Battle Front 2 have been criticized for their use loot-boxes and micropayment mechanics but these elements cannot be classified of gambling because there is no stake involved, says regulator. 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