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Live Casino Comparer: 60% of British Public Think Loot Boxes Should be Regulated as Gambling
LONDON, January 12, 2018 – Video game manufacturers are persistently facing criticism on account of loot boxes, which contain randomised prizes and can be bought with real money to be used within games. As per a survey by Live Casino Comparer the percentage of British people who cling to the belief that loot boxes should be regulated as gambling adds up to 60.
The very inception of this disputation over loot boxes goes back to Belgian and Dutch gambling regulators who initially looked into the idea that loot boxes should be classified as gambling.
Which was followed by the Hawaiian state representative Chris Lee, a damning critique of loot boxes who released a video on YouTube. Emphasizing on the loot boxes in 2017 video game Star Wars: Battlefront II, Lee expressed his anger towards a “Star Wars-themed online casino designed to lure kids into spending money.”
In response to the affair, Apple recently changed the rules on its app store with regards to loot boxes.
Vulnerable young people
Neil Walker, the gambling expert who conducted the survey of over 1000 British people, condemns the “gambling loopholes” that allow loot boxes to exist. “Vulnerable young people are being introduced to gambling in a way that provides them with no protection or support.”
The Gambling Commission has also recently expressed concerns about the amount of exposure to gambling that young people are facing. Its research on the issue states that 80% of 11–16 year olds have seen gambling advertised on TV. What’s more, 12% of 11–16 year olds have gambled in the last week.
However, with regards to loot boxes, Walker worries that this figure could potentially be “a lot higher”. He also blames the Government for its double standards on tackling the issue. “Large fines have been levied by the UK Gambling Commission for misleading advertising, yet nothing is being done to regulate gambling purchases in video games in the UK.”
Despite increasing pressure to regulate loot boxes as gambling, from both officials and the public, the stance of authorities in the UK and the US is that loot boxes do not constitute as gambling because players do get some kind of reward.
Walker believes that this is missing the point. “Politicians are out of touch with what the public wants. Of course, loot boxes count as gambling. The time to act is now.”
This is not the first time that the question of whether or not loot boxes count as gambling has been raised. In 2012, a predatory scheme similar to loot boxes in Japanese games was declared illegal by the government. Kompu gacha was an in-game mechanism which involved encouraging players to pay a little bit of money for a randomised prize. Most of these prizes were small, but some were worth much more.
Shocking similarities
As with kompu gacha, the concern with Star Wars: Battlefront II is the way in which its loot boxes so closely mimic a casino. One minigame even involves a slot machine and, according to journalist Zaid Jilani, it is not uncommon for players to treat the loot boxes in Star Wars: Battlefront II like a slot machine. “A loot box costs between 83 cents and $1.80, and it’s not uncommon for a player to buy dozens and dozens of boxes in an attempt to unlock a particular character or capability.”
Walker calls these similarities “shocking”, as he had previously assumed that loot boxes were regulated as gambling. “As someone who has worked in the iGaming industry for years, I had long thought that loot boxes counted as gambling in the same way that blackjack or a slot machine would.”
“There are children growing up right now who’s first exposure to gambling is through loot boxes. We need to make sure that video games are held accountable in the same way casinos are.”
For more information about Neil Walker, please visit www.livecasinocomparer.com
About Live Casino Comparer
Live Casino Comparer is an online casino comparison and gambling news website run by gambling expert Neil Walker. Each article is written by Neil, who specialises in analyses of different online live casinos. The website also features reviews, insight, and updates from across the casino industry.
SOURCE Live Casino Comparer
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Week 46/2024 slot games releases
Here are this weeks latest slots releases compiled by European Gaming
Spinomenal has welcomed another title into its Wildlife Series, Majestic Bison. Set in the Wild West, Majestic Bison surrounds players in a landscape populated with wild wolves, elegant eagles, fearsome snakes and formidable goats. A stripped back soundtrack captures the essence of the Wild West, with banjos and harmonicas immersing players in the action as they hunt for gold.
PG Soft, a world-class digital mobile games company, is celebrating the magic of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival with the release of its new slot, Rio Fantasia. A young dancer named Isabella is the star of the show as players join in the rhythm and passion of one of the world’s most spectacular parties. Rio Fantasia is a 3-reel, 3-row video slot featuring Stacked Wild symbols, multipliers, and respin until win.
Hölle Games has released Jumpin’ Jacks, a new Classic title featuring a special Duplicating Wilds mechanic. This 5×3, 15 payline slot has a theme of Halloween harvest, with scarecrows, pumpkins, corn, crows and a creepy midnight sky completing the picture. The atmosphere is there to match, with a cosy yet somewhat spooky soundtrack.
Belatra Games, the specialist online slots developer, has served up Cafe Pin-Up, a slot that whisks players away to a vibrant 1950s diner, where retro glamour meets thrilling gameplay. Players take a seat inside a charming cafe, where pin-up girls are on hand to deliver delicious dishes in a raucous atmosphere created by a jukebox playing toe-tapping tunes. The game is presented in a 5×4 grid with 20 paylines with the Pin-Up Girl Wild symbol playing the key role.
New from Peter & Sons comes Muddy Waters, a game that will send your Geiger counter up to 11. This high-volatility and highly radioactive slot comes packed with symbol multipliers, power-ups and a unique fishing mechanic. Muddy Waters riffs on the popular fishing-slot genre, but since this is the weird and wonderful world of Peter & Sons, it gets flipped on its head, because this game is about reeling in radioactive fish.
Relax Gaming, the iGaming aggregator and provider of unique content, is getting players into the festive spirit with its latest release, Money Sleigh, a Christmas-themed slot guaranteed to deliver stocking-filled fun and the chance to unwrap big wins. Santa and his team of loyal helpers are ready to guide players through this exciting holiday adventure, with the potential to win up to 10,000x their stake.
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AGREEMENT BETWEEN ZITRO AND GRUPO OSGA TO PROMOTE THE LABOT INTEGRATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Zitro, a leading company in the gaming industry, has signed a collaboration agreement with Grupo OSGA, a business group committed to promoting the employment of people with disabilities. Grupo OSGA offers job opportunities to people with disabilities and supports their professional development in inclusive and accessible environments.
Through this alliance, Grupo OSGA will provide Zitro with a parcel and documentation service between its offices, optimizing Zitro’s operational efficiency and strengthening its social commitment to creating a more inclusive work environment.
At Zitro, we firmly believe in the power of diversity as a driver of growth and development. This collaboration with Grupo OSGA not only enriches our company but also reinforces our commitment to contributing to a fairer and more inclusive society,” said Albert Zorrilla, Managing Director of Zitro for Spain.
“The collaboration with a prestigious international company like Zitro not only constitutes recognition of the work that Grupo OSGA has been carrying out but also contributes to the generation of real opportunities for people with disabilities to achieve effective and stable integration in the labor market,” said Oscar Galilea, President of Grupo Osga.
Balkans
EGT Digital’s iGaming platform X-Nave and successful titles to deliver high-quality experience to BetHub’s customers
BetHub and EGT Digital have started their successful partnership, as a result of which the leading Bulgarian operator is now using the iGaming platform X-Nave. Its 4 main modules: CRM Engine, Sport product, Gaming Aggregator and Payment Gateway, enable the betting site to effectively manage all online gaming business verticals and further improve its performance.
CRM Engine provides a wide range of player management tools and bonus features, allowing the operator to create more personalized offerings for its customers, based on their preferences and behavior.
Through X-Nave’s Sport product BetHub will enrich even more the sport content it offers.
The Payment Gateway gives access to numerous payment methods and thanks to the Gaming Aggregator EGT Digital’s slot games are already at the disposal of the website’s visitors. The top-performing titles from Bell Link, Clover Chance, High Cash, Single Progressive Jackpot, as well as the multiplayer game xRide quickly gained popularity among BetHub’s customers.
“We are very glad with our collaboration with EGT Digital so far,” commented Kiril Naldzhiev, CEO at BetHub. “The platform has made the management of our business much easier, and the company’s gaming content has shown impressive results that have not only met but exceeded our expectations.”
Tsvetomira Drumeva, Head of Sales at EGT Digital, also gave a positive evaluation to the cooperation. She said: “Partnering with a prominent operator like BetHub is very valuable for us, as it gives us the opportunity to demonstrate the enormous potential of our developments and consolidate our status as a leader in the local market. I am confident that this is the beginning of a very successful collaboration that will bring a lot of positives to both companies and the players themselves.”
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