Hawaii became the first US state to propose bills to restrict video games with the mechanics of loot boxes. Such ideas have been voiced before, but it was the Hawaiian administration that first formulated these requirements in the form of legal documents.
“These predatory mechanics, like gambling, can cause psychological dependence and provoke the embezzlement of money,” the text of the bill says.
The bills were introduced by Chris Lee, a member of the Democratic Party, who previously called the online shooter Star Wars: Battlefront II “an online casino in the style of “Star Wars”.”
Lee said that while working on the documents, he consulted with colleagues from other states and countries who are also concerned about the problem of loot boxes in video games.
According to the official, today more than half of the US states are considering control measures for games with loot boxes.
The initiative contains 4 documents. Two of them (bills 2686 and 3024) propose to prohibit the sale of games with loot boxes to persons under the age of 21.
The next pair of documents (bills 2727 and 3025) proposes to oblige game developers and publishers to disclose the contents of loot boxes and the chances of receiving a prize.
In addition, games with loot boxes will have to be marked with a warning: “Attention! Contains in-game purchases and gambling-like mechanics that can cause harm or cause addiction.”
The laws against loot boxes will come into force if they receive approval in the US Congress.
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