Epic pushes ban on “Harmful” loot boxes

A risk management study from EPIC (not Epicgames) has come out and said the UK and the rest of Europe should follow in the footsteps of Belgium and The Netherlands where loot crates or boxes are banned for games that people can play under the age of 18.

They also launched a campaign that should help parents and caregivers to understand what these loot crates or boxes are, and how they can induce gambling habits into their adult life. 

As we know, a person is not fully developed until they are 25 years old. Anything before that age leaves the child or person in question vulnerable to be influenced by environmental changes and habits. That’s why EPIC assessed that loot boxes could spiral children and people in gambling habits later in life. 

Let’s talk about some numbers on which EPIC based their statement. EPIC’s  study found that 30% of its 1,800 children surveyed from 31 schools had purchased loot crates or cosmetics or similar. 19% had gambled within the last year, and a damming 5% of the children that had gambled displayed signs of being in real danger of developing and expanding into gambling addiction or habits later in life. 

Further, 3% of those kids that had gambled did admit that they are suffering financial distress or stress because of this. 

Perhaps, what is more eye-opening was that 55% of the children asked and 88% of those that gambled, said that the loot crates are a native feeling to the game. And that the game would feel incomplete without a lootcrate system in place, so, again, letting EPIC know how much they value loot boxes in video games. 

Not a surprise 

Not long ago there was a plague of illegal CS:GO casinos that came up and allowed players under the age of 18 to gamble skins, cosmetics and others on the site against the house (the casino) or gamble against other players. The creator of CS:GO Value had a long and difficult battle shutting down one after another of CS:GO casinos. 

However, to this day, there are still quite a bit of csgo gambling sites available to play, that can in a way be a very cheap and easy way to pick up a new look or skin in CS:GO. 

Whenever you are thinking of playing CS:GO casino, make sure you are educated and do your own research on what is currently allowed or not.