The video-game industry is bracing for a wave of European rules. They could limit what children play, and cost the sector billions in lost sales.
A cluster of European regulations is taking aim at how games are sold to minors. Loot boxes are the main target. The shift could crimp sales worldwide, Bloomberg reported. Regulators worry that children keep reaching games that are not made for their age.
The loot box problem
Loot boxes are paid treasure chests that hand out random digital items. Critics have long called them an addictive form of gambling. They are also big money. Chance-based mechanics earned game companies about $23bn worldwide last year, according to S&P research.
Now the rules are tightening. In June, the Pan-European Game Information body (PEGI) began rating any game with loot boxes as unsuitable for under-16s. The EU wants to go further. Lawmakers are weighing an outright ban on loot boxes in games children can reach. The Digital Fairness Act, which carries it, is expected to pass next year.
