EA Games Deny That Loot Boxes Lead to Gambling, Compare Them to Kinder Eggs

20.06.2019, 17:14

Vice President of EA Games Kerry Hopkins has denied that loot boxes in video games lead to gambling, comparing them to Kinder Eggs in front of UK Parliament.

There has been a lot of controversy around loot boxes and skins gambling. Especially in the last few months. For example, Valve is being sued for illegal skins gambling. At the same time, there has been a proposal to issue a ban on loot boxes in the USA. EA Games have been one of the worst offenders in the field. This is due to the controversy from their Star Wars and FIFA games.

Moreover, a recent study suggests that there is a link between loot boxes and gambling. However, VP of EA Games Hopkins has refuted the claim. In his words, loot boxes are “ethical and fun, quite enjoyable to people.” She even compared them to Kinder Eggs, due to the element of surprise.

In the UK, loot boxes are not considered gambling. That is if the items from loot boxes can also be found within the game. 

Nevertheless, the issue causes debated topics among gamers. Most claim that items loot boxes may or may not provide any value on random. Or in other words – a gamble. Therefore, many players would want to see them gone from video games. This is not even concerning the link with gambling as an issue. 

Some companies have already begun combatting the gambling issue. For instance, Google Play has required all games with loot boxes to list odds. 

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