Pressure To Reclassify Loot Boxes As Gambling Ramps Up In The UK After Student Blows $3800
A students story about his addiction to buying FIFA packs has applied more pressure on UK officials ro reclassify loot boxes as gambling.
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The fight to reclassify loot boxes as gambling in the UK has been thrust back into the spotlight via the story of one young FIFA player.
There was once a time when a gamer would go to the store, pay for a new title, and that was it. They owned a new game in its entirety. It isn’t that simple anymore, not for the most part. There is often shoulder content, additional DLC, microtransactions, and loot boxes, most of which require extra money to be spent after the fact.
Loot boxes are a point of controversy in the UK right now. As has been, and continues to be, the case in other countries, there is a campaign to reclassify loot boxes as a form of gambling. Many believe that since the point of a loot box is to spend money with the hope that a it will contain something good, but that isn’t guaranteed, then it is in fact gambling.
A story told by a young FIFA player via the BBC has highlighted exactly how damaging loot boxes can be. As is often the example used when arguing for and against loot boxes being reclassified, especially in the UK, FIFA’s Ultimate Team is the villain in this story. The mode allows gamers to build their own squad, during which time they can opt to buy packs that contain random players.
Jonathan Peniket first had his interest piqued by FIFA packs in 2012 when he was still a boy. When he asked his dad if he could use his pocket money to buy packs, his dad replied no as he wasn’t old enough to gamble. Years later, when Jonathan didn’t need to ask permission to spend money, he became addicted to the thrill and the mystery of FIFA packs and did something he will likely regret for the rest of his life.
As he prepared for life at university and tried to cope with his mom’s cancer diagnosis, he spent money his grandparents and parents had saved for his entire life on FIFA packs. Jonathan would spend £80 ($100) multiple times per night, and spent almost £3000 ($3800) before he realized the gravity of what he had done. EA Sports argues that loot boxes do not constitute gambling, and reminds players that FIFA can be played without buying anything more than the game itself.
Source: BBC
Link Source : https://www.thegamer.com/pressure-reclassify-loot-boxes-gambling-uk/