Industry News
France says loot boxes are not gambling devices

France has moved away from the controversy surrounding loot boxes in video games by refusing to term using loot boxes as a form of gambling. This is a marked deviation from the stance adopted by countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium. The Dutch and Belgian authorities have cautioned the loot game publishers about legal action if their guidelines are violated.
In a recently published report, the Autorité de regulation des jeux en ligne /ARJEL has warned about loot boxes but says that a “combined and coordinated” action plan is required to deal with them, according to a translation and analysis of the report by media law associate Sebastian Schwiddessen.
ARJEL believes that regulation of loot boxes would require input from several institutions including gambling authorities, consumer protection authorities, financial and banking regulators, and data protection authorities. ARJEL wants European financial regulators, for instance, to step in and provide a more “coherent” analysis of microtransactions.
But does ARJEL believe loot boxes can be considered gambling? The authority believes that for loot boxes to qualify as gambling, the items contained within them must have real-life monetary value, and adds that it’s currently investigating the possibility of selling loot box-generated items.
Schwiddessen’s analysis of the report suggests that ARJEL is reluctant to take solo action and is seeking further clarification from several authorities for a combined effort to address loot boxes. However, don’t expect an outcome anytime soon. It also seems unlikely that ARJEL will follow the Belgian and Dutch authorities’ footsteps.
Source: ARJEL via Sebastian Schwiddessen/Games Industry
-
Asia6 days ago
PAGCOR CHAIRMAN, ENTIRE BOARD TENDER COURTESY RESIGNATION
-
Asia6 days ago
BETBY TO TAKE CENTER STAGE AT SiGMA ASIA MANILA WITH PARTICIPATION ON PANEL ABOUT EMERGING TECH IN SPORTS BETTING
-
Africa5 days ago
SYNOT Games Partners with Aardvark Technologies
-
Latest News5 days ago
Week 22/2025 slot games releases
-
Industry News6 days ago
Evoke Announces the Establishment of a New Technology Committee
-
Asia5 days ago
EGT Digital’s innovative developments to captivate visitors at SiGMA Asia 2025
-
Daily Fantasy Sports6 days ago
PandaScore launches game-changing Daily Fantasy eSports product
-
Asia5 days ago
EGT’s Asian-themed products to make a splash at SiGMA Asia 2025