Hawaii legislature urged to consider whether loot boxes constitute gambling
News on 22 Nov 2017
News on 22 Nov 2017
EA’s Star Wars Battlefront II game and it’s now suspended loot box offer have attracted more flak, this time from a Hawaiian lawmaker.
Representative Chris Lee held a press conference this week, adding his concerns that loot boxes are a form of gambling to those already expressed by European regulators (see previous reports)..
During the press conference Lee talked about “future protections for kids, youth, and everyone” when it comes to the “predatory practices of online gaming,” specifically referring to a “Star Wars-themed online casino designed to lure kids into spending money.”
“We are here today to ensure future protections for kids, youth and everyone when it comes to the spread of predatory practices in online gaming and the significant financial consequences it can have on families, and has been having on families around this nation,” Lee said.
“This game is a Star Wars-themed online casino designed to lure kids into spending money; it’s a trap. This is something that we need to address to ensure that kids who are underage, who are not psychologically and emotionally mature enough, to be able to gamble, which is why gambling is prohibited [and minors under the age of] 21 are protected from being trapped in these cycles which have compelled many folks to spend thousands of dollars in gaming fees online.”
Lee revealed that legislators are currently talking to their counterparts in other US states on the issue of protecting the underaged to ensure that “…kids won’t have access to these type of business practices in games at all.”
“We are looking at legislation this coming year which could prohibit access or prohibit the sale of these games to folks who are underage in order to protect families, as well as prohibiting different kinds of mechanisms in those games. We’ve been with several states as well as legislators there who are looking at the same thing. I think this is appropriate time to make sure that these issues are addressed before this becomes the new norm for every game.
