Revenue In-game purchases containing the element of chance those that create, sell and regulate should be unavailable to all children those products even if loot boxes and young people unless and until aren’t considered ‘gambling’ and they are enabled by a parent or aren’t subject to regulation under guardian. It also said that all players the Gambling Act 2005 or its should have access to and be aware successor. This is a difficult balance of spending controls and transparent for the Gambling Commission to information to support safe and manage moving forward and we may responsible gameplay. see enforcement strategies continue Industry-led guidance on loot boxes to develop in this area, particularly was published by the industry trade in light of recent activity by the UK’s body Ukie alongside 11 industry Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) principles published in conjunction which has led to concerns that the with the Gambling Commission, and current self-regulatory approach a Video Games Research Framework may be insufficient. was published by the government. Consumer protection and Many parents aren’t interested in in-game purchases whether an activity meets a legal As far back as 2013, The UK definition of gambling. Their main Office of Fair Trading (OFT), now concern is whether there is a product the Competition and Markets out there that could present a risk Authority (CMA), looked at whether to their children. The Gambling app-based games included: ‘... Commission therefore continues to direct exhortations to children – a be concerned with the blur between strong encouragement to make a video gaming and gambling. purchase, or to do something that Where a product doesn’t meet the will necessitate making a purchase, test to be classed as gambling but or to persuade their parents or other could potentially cause harm to adults to make a purchase for them.’ children, parents will expect proper protections to be put in place by 63