Loot Boxes and Microtransactions are nothing new when it comes to online gaming. But now six lawmaking parties in the Netherlands are planning a proposal to ban Loot Boxes and Microtransactions.
Following in the footsteps of the US, UK, Australia, and other major countries, the Dutch are keeping up with the harmful effects of microtransactions and loot boxes on children.
Since most of the games that offer loot boxes are geared towards minors, the risk of “family disruption towards unwanted bills”, as well as “harboring effects of gambling”, are seen as unwanted behaviors which can be preventable. The law will be put into effect to avoid children being manipulated into using real money to buy items that would benefit them in the game, but will hamper their livelihood in the long run. Purchasing loot boxes and microtransactions were always seen as a form of gambling, thus many countries seek to protect children by implementing such laws.
The Netherlands were the first to raise the issue when loot boxes were rampant on online games, and they temporarily banned it in 2020. But the law did not hold up for long, and sometime early this year the rule was overturned and loot boxes were legal again without any penalty.
So far, only Belgium is upholding their end of the rule. Games such as FIFA will not support microtransactions in Belgium, and FIFA points have been removed permanently. Now, only time will tell if the latest rule will be effective in protecting children against the dangers of online microtransactions and loot boxes.
If you liked this article you can also check out our other news like Video Game Lootboxes are Exploiting Gamers, Here’s Why and How and All Updates About Genshin Impact Summer Fantasia Update.