Germany starts considering loot boxes in video game age ratings

The rating body will now consider whether games “promote gambling”

Germany.- Germany’s video game age rating agency Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle has begun to include the use of loot boxes in its evaluations. The mechanism allows players to buy random chances of winning an in-game item using in-game credits, which some have likened to gambling.

As of January 1, whether a game includes loot boxes will be included as a factor in deciding a game’s age rating. A higher age rating may be applied if a product is found to have the potential to “promote gambling, contribute to a desensitisation towards gambling losses or give rise to unrealistic product expectations”.

The agency said: “In the future, in addition to content relevant to the protection of minors, possible online risks – such as purchasing or communication options – can also be taken into account in the process of statutory age marking.

“Specifically, the independent USK committees can now check in individual cases whether any functions could pose an increased risk for children and young people, for example in relation to chats in the game or unwanted expenses.”

Belgium banned loot boxes in 2018 but a similar move in The Netherlands was overturned in court. Spain plans to ban loot boxes for minors, and there have been calls for legislation in the UK.