New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has ruled that video game loot boxes are not a form of gambling.
“Gamers do not purchase loot boxes seeking to win money or something that can be converted into money,” DIA Licensing Compliance Manager, Trish Millward, wrote in reply to a query from Gamasutra.
“They buy loot boxes so that they can use their contents within the game and thereby have a better gaming experience.”
Authorities seem torn on the issue. Those who’ve ruled that loot boxes are a form of gambling include the Belgium Gaming Commission and the US state of Hawaii. Organisations who do not consider loot boxes as gambling include the UK Gambling Commission and the ESRB.
Where do you sit on the issue of loot boxes as gambling?
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