UK government calls for evidence on loot boxes over concern they train children to gamble Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. UK government calls for evidence on loot boxes over concern they train children to gamble Pack it in. News by Wesley Yin-Poole Deputy Editorial Director Updated on 8 Jun 2020 79 comments The UK government could classify loot boxes as gambling following an upcoming call for evidence, The Guardian reports. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is set to call for evidence over concern loot boxes are training children to gamble. Currently in the UK, loot boxes are not considered gambling, which means they are not regulated by the Gambling Commission. If the government were to classify loot boxes as gambling, it would force games that include them to carry an 18 age rating - or their developers to change the way they work so they could be sold to people under 18. Loot boxes are at the heart of FIFA Ultimate Team. One game that could be impacted is FIFA, which as part of the lucrative Ultimate Team mode sells loot boxes in the form of card packs. Publisher EA generates billions of dollars from the sale of loot boxes in its Ultimate Team modes. Loot boxes are already classified as gambling in some countries, such as Belgium. Back in January 2019, EA agreed to follow other games and specifically stop selling FIFA points, the game's virtual currency that is bought with real-world money and spent on packs, in the country. This means in Belgium, Ultimate Team packs can only be bought with a virtual currency earned in-game, and not bought with real-world money. At the time, EA said: "We seek to bring choice, fairness, value and fun to our players in all our games. In addition to providing players options in how they play, we include pack probabilities in our games for the transparency players want to make informed content choices. "While we are taking this action, we do not agree with Belgian authorities' interpretation of the law, and we will continue to seek more clarity on the matter as we go forward. The impact of this change to FIFA Ultimate Team in Belgium is not material to our financial performance." The UK, however, is a major market for EA Sports, with Ultimate Team one of its most popular game modes. If EA Sports is forced to make a change to FIFA Ultimate Team in the UK, it may well be material to EA's financial performance. The UK government is under increasing pressure to take a close look at loot boxes following various reports that suggested they be considered gambling. The DCMS select committee heard evidence last year from representatives of EA and Fortnite maker Epic - and it did not go well for those companies. (This was the meeting in which an EA rep said the company considers loot boxes to be "surprise mechanics".) In September 2019, the DCMS select committee recommended the government regulate loot boxes under the Gambling Act. The Guardian notes any change to how loot boxes are regulated could feature in a broader overhaul of gambling legislation. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 10 Latest Articles Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store