Ireland okays loot boxes

The Irish government has decided to buck the popular trend about the controversial loot boxes and categorically stated that loot boxes do not fall under the ambit of gambling. It must be noted that 15 countries and several regulators, ranging from Washington State to Poland, have so far brought regulation against skins gambling and loot boxes.

The declaration from the Gaming Regulators European Forum condemned the “blurring of lines between gaming and gambling.”

The Irish minister of state for the Department of Justice David Stanton confirmed that loot boxes remain outside of his remit.

“[The Department of Justice] does not have a role to regulate game developers on how their games work nor, in the offering of in-game purchases,” he told the Senate of Ireland.

As reported by Irish Legal News, Stanton argued that loot boxes “fall within normal consumer law” rather than gambling legislation.

“Where a game offers the possibility of placing a bet or the taking of risk for financial reward within the game, then, in my view it must be licensed as a gambling product…” he said.

“However, it should be understood, that if a game offers in-game purchases – be they loot boxes, skins, etc. – which are promoted to gamers as increasing their chances of success, such purchases are essentially a commercial or e-commerce activity.”

Source: GamesIndustry