The concept of gaming loot boxes exists in pretty much every video game, no matter if it’s free or paid. They were first introduced in the year 2004 years and had been implementing into the world of games throughout the next 3, now they are an integral part of video games.
Until today, there has been a lot of controversy going on around gaming loot boxes and whether they should be considered as gambling or no. A House of Commons committee is leaning towards the idea that loot boxes should be seen as gambling and that it’s especially important to keep an eye on the kids, because they are more vulnerable than adults and virtual reality is not an exception.
What is so preoccupying about these gaming loot boxes? Loot boxes are the rewards that one can purchase in order to receive some extra power, helpful tools, arms, options of customization and many more extra features in a game. One of the tricky parts is that this selection is always random.
When you buy a box, you never know what’s inside. Means you’re literally buying a pig in a poke. You get something that you may never even need in a game or something that might actually come in handy and then you want to buy more and more, it feels like lottery. You are trying your luck, but the chances of winning are no higher than in the actual lottery, except for the fact that here you actually spend money on something “real” that can be used in the game you are playing. That’s why many people think of loot boxes as a sort of gambling that is closer to online slots than it looks at the first sight.
The whole concept of gaming loot boxes has been wisely developed and is beneficial for any company to different degrees, whether they launch a free or paid video game. Anyways, any of them can still introduce gaming loot boxes and it will be no surprise for their customers. But is it fair? People, who buy these boxes are more likely to win a game than those, who don’t. A lot more opportunities and benefits come within loot boxes and it makes the gaming process easier for those who can afford buying a plenty of them.
Gaming loot boxes are a good way for companies that enter the market with free games, to monetize them. Many paid games now also offer the opportunity of getting loot boxes by earning them during a game and not purchase with real money. This point makes the presence of loot boxes appear not-so-unfair with respect to fellow game players, because anyone can earn the box with some efforts invested.
As stated by Play Pulse, loot boxes have become a real problem for parents, whose children play video games. They get so deep into the process that they forget to separate virtual from real and are ready to do whatever, in order to win the game. It’s not surprising that thousands of parents aren’t happy with giving money on something that has no value for their kids in real life. Expert says that this might shorten the journey of the future adults to casino sites like 918Kiss.
In some countries, loot boxes have been considered gambling and are now regulated under the gambling laws.
