An investigative report from the BBC finds that a surprising amount of mobile games don’t properly disclose that they contain loot boxes. Of the 45 highest-grossing mobile games on the Google Play store, 26 contain loot boxes. However, only two of them follow the rules and make it clear that they contain loot boxes. The other games hide, engaging in dishonest practices.
Monopoly GO!, the highest-grossing game featuring loot boxes, does not mention them in its ads.
A recently debuted star-powered fueled ad starring Chris Pratt, Jason Momoa, and Keke Palmer includes this disclaimer in the fine print by saying the game “contains in-app purchases” but does not disclose that they are loot boxes specifically.
“In the absence of robust regulation in gaming, it is essential for games to provide clear and transparent information about their features, allowing both parents and gamers to make informed decisions,” said Dr. Jane Rigbye, chief executive of the Young Gamers & Gambles Education Trust. She called the findings “deeply concerning.”
Here in the United States, a listing for Monopoly GO! indicates that the mobile game contains “in-app purchases” in fine print, just like the TV ad, but again, it does not specify that the mobile game features loot boxes. However, it does promote the ability to subscribe to Play Pass and get $5 off any in-app purchase.
Monopoly GO! is the 17th most popular mobile game on the Google Play store in the US. However, this listing doesn’t mention in-app purchases at all; you have to pull up the app’s store page to see the fine print.
Failing to Properly Disclose Loot Boxes Is Concerning Industry Experts
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) can remove and ban ads that do not properly disclose if games contain loot boxes but aren’t necessarily properly equipped to deal with the growing issue. While the ASA says they’re carefully monitoring mobile games, critics argue that it’s not enough.
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“The ASA, although it has upheld some complaints, it takes so long to properly process all of these things – they will go to a company and say, ‘you should comply’, but they don’t comply,” Leon Y Xiao, a video game regulation researcher at the IT University of Copenhagen, told the BBC. Xia said that 90% of games with loot boxes do not properly disclose this in their advertisements.
“People are walking into a video game not knowing the potential risks, and this is assuming that people have even understood the risk of loot boxes to begin with.”
