The Belgian ‘ban’ on loot boxes has not been effectively enforced.
Paid loot boxes remained widely available amongst the 100 highest-grossing iPhone games in Belgium: 82.0% continued to generate revenue through a randomised monetisation method, as did 80.2% of games rated suitable for young people aged 12+. The effectiveness of this ban at influencing the compliance behaviour of video game companies (and, by implication, consumers’, including children’s, exposure to and consumer protection from loot boxes) was assessed. Citing consumer protection concerns, the Belgian Gaming Commission opined that such mechanics constitute gambling under existing law and effectively ‘banned’ loot boxes by threatening criminal prosecution of non-compliant companies implementing paid loot boxes without a gambling licence. Loot boxes are conceptually and psychologically similar to gambling, and loot box expenditure is positively correlated with self-reported problem gambling severity. Loot boxes in video games are gambling-like mechanics that players buy to obtain randomised rewards of varying value.
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