In Europe, consumer groups called for a ban on exploitative "loot box" mechanics in games.
On Thursday, a host of advocacy groups petitioned the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the online mode of the popular soccer game, in which players can spend money to compete in different leagues.
Buying packs containing random players, using in-game currency that must either be earned the hard way, or simply bought for real cash, is a large part of this.
loot box mechanics earned the industry an estimated fifteen billion dollars in 2020 and critics say they are a form of gambling.
They say the use of in-game currencies obscures the real costs to the player, and that it's not obvious how low the odds are of getting a good reward from buying the mystery pack.
The groups, which include the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) and the National Council on Problem Gambling, want the FTC to look into the matter.
The CDD said that lootboxes, virtual currency, and other gaming features are often designed to exploit players' known vulnerabilities.
Children and teens are hurt the most due to their unique needs. They are financially exploited and socialized to adopt gambling-like behaviors because of the time and attention they are missing. Regulators need to act to protect children and teens from harmful practices in online gaming.
A copy of the report issued by the Norwegian Consumer Council and 19 other European consumer groups is attached to the petition. The report contained dozens of pages of evidence and featured a lot of games.
The FTC petition was 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780 800-313-5780
Legislation to ban the sale of loot boxes to children was introduced in the same year that the FTC held a workshop on the topic.
The agency said it would take appropriate steps to prevent unfair or deceptive practices after noting that there were significant questions about loot boxes.
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