US senator wants to ban loot boxes and pay-to-win aspects in children’s games
A US senator proposes a bill banning pay-to-win elements and loot boxes in games aimed at children. He comes up with this legislation based on the idea that children should be protected against monetization.
Missouri State Senator Josh Hawley says social media and games bet on “addicting their users, taking kids’ attention to real-world business and making profits from fostering compulsions.” ‘. Hawley focuses specifically on pay-to-win elements and loot boxes in games.
He cites an example from Candy Crush, in which a Luscious Bundle with a thousand gold bars is offered for $150 to temporarily get unlimited lives and limit the difficulty. Hawley also specifically mentions that the game describes this bundle as best value. Such practices are a thorn in his side. He believes that game companies, but also social media companies, invest in the addiction of their users.
The senator wants to protect children with his bill. “While this business model has benefits for the tech industry, one thing is clear: there is no excuse for exploiting children through such practices. If a game is designed for children, developers should not monetize addiction. And if children are games intended for play adults, they must be shielded from compulsive microtransactions. Developers who knowingly exploit children must be brought to justice.”
The bill is called ‘The Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act’ and will be introduced in the US Senate shortly. The law is likely to focus specifically on protecting children under the age of 18 and will likely involve the Federal Trade Commission in enforcing it. What exactly will be stated in the law must be made clear when it is submitted.
The Federal Trade Commission has already launched an investigation into the sale of loot boxes in games. That may have happened in part after Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan questioned FTC committee members about this last year. Given that she is a Democratic senator, that could mean Democratic support for Hawley’s bill too, making a majority not an inconceivable scenario.