Top-selling mobile games breaking rules on loot boxes

Published On Nov 28, 2024, 7:04 PM

A BBC investigation reveals that many popular mobile games in the UK fail to disclose the presence of loot boxes—random in-game purchases that have drawn criticism for being exploitative and potentially addictive. The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) noted a lack of compliance among game advertisers, with only two of the top 45 highest-grossing games clearly mentioning these boxes in their ads. Critics argue that this non-disclosure represents a significant risk, especially for children, and highlights a failure of the game industry and regulators to protect vulnerable consumers from gambling-like practices. Loot boxes reportedly generate around $15 billion annually for game companies.