The European Parliament will vote on Wednesday on better protection for online gamers. The main concern is that loot boxes, also known as treasure chests, could be addictive for children, says Toine Manders, Member of the European Parliament on behalf of the CDA. “If parents aren’t paying attention, sometimes credit cards are used to open loot boxes without them noticing.”
It is important that the case is addressed by the European Parliament, Manders says. “We want to prevent different rules from applying in each member state, so that will soon be clear to video game companies across Europe.”
Industry
The video game industry in Europe is huge. ‘Europe is a leader in this area. It is therefore not the intention to strongly influence the business model of these companies.’ That is why the European Commission has been asked to investigate concerns in this situation. ‘We want answers to questions like: Do children really get addicted? Is this a solution if you have to pay up front to play? We also want to know how we can place more responsibility on the parents themselves. However, it will also check if it works if the loot boxes can be opened with points earned in the game, instead of money.’