Another day, another row over whether loot boxes constitute gambling. The latest development comes as part of a fresh class action lawsuit filed in California on behalf of 100 people.
As recapped by GamesIndustry.biz, Californian law outlines the definition of an illegal gambling device as a machine which requires an item of value to play and doles out something of value by element of chance in return.
The lawsuit’s argument is that Apple’s own devices are gambling devices because of the apps the company makes available from the Apple App Store.
One particular angle of the lawsuit is the ease in which children become accustomed to loot boxes as a form of acquiring in-game items.
“Not unlike Big Tobacco’s ‘Joe Camel’ advertising campaign, Apple relies on creating addictive behaviours in kids to generate huge profits,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit draws on findings from the Brussels Gaming Commission, such as the use of virtual currencies in games like FIFA and Star Wars Battlefront 2 to obfuscate the real-world value of money being spent. It notes that some countries (Belgium, Netherlands) have outlawed loot boxes while others are investigating.