UK police chief slams loot boxes for gambling connections

A leading UK police chief has slammed loot boxes and called for tobacco-style health warnings to be attached to the products due to connections with potential gambling-related harm. Joy Allen, the police and crime commissioner for Durham, said the in-game feature could instil unhealthy behaviours and pre-expose children and young people to developing addictive gambling-like tendencies. Loot boxes give video game players random prizes after payment, such a pack of players in FIFA Ultimate Team. The product has been lambasted in the past, and there were hopes it would be remedied in the white paper into the Gambling Act 2005 review. However, former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries urged game developers and platforms to take more action on loot boxes, shifting responsibility away from government. This decision came despite a government consultation finding a link between future potential gambling-related harm and a need for a parental or guardian confirmation before purchasing loot boxes. Allen said loot boxes could have a severe psychological impact on children and put them at-risk of developing future problems. Allen said: “Parents, grandparents and even the children themselves won’t be aware of the harm these loot boxes can cause. These features can lead to addiction as it is not about the money or the winnings, it’s the impact it has on the brain and the receptors. “We know there are at least 55,000 young people already who have got a gambling addiction and what we know from research is that the gambling industry targets the highly addictive. Young people are being preyed on and are sleepwalking into potential danger. “If these features cannot be abolished, they should come with health warnings much like cigarette packets. We all have a responsibility to safeguard future generations,” she added.