Children’s Commissioner for England Calls for a Clamp Down on Loot Boxes

Anne Longfield, the children’s commissioner for England, has called for tighter legislation to protect young online gamers from “loot boxes.”

Anne Longfield wants ministers to amend current law so that loot boxes in games such as Fifa are classified as gambling. She also wants a maximum daily spending limit to be introduced for children to curb excessive in-game spending.

The commissioner acknowledged that playing games online could be rewarding and could help develop strategic skills and friendships, but warned that young players were open to exploitation by games companies playing on their need to keep up with friends by encouraging them to spend on loot boxes.

The commissioner wants financial harm to be brought within the scope of the government’s forthcoming online harms legislation. She says the government should take immediate action to amend the definition of gaming in section 6 of the Gambling Act 2005 to regulate loot boxes as gambling.