Lootboxes have recently been under attack for being a form of gambling. Belgium recently defined the loot boxes in Battlefront II to be gambling, while the Gambling Commission in the UK today defined a practice called "skin betting". However, New Zealand apparently decided not to join the ranks against this practice.
New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs made a decision today that lootboxes do not meed the definition of gambling.
In an email with Gamasutra, Trish Milward from the Gambling Compliance office in the Department of Internal Affairs stated that lootboxes can't be considered gambling under New Zealand's laws.
"According to Trish Millward, a licensing compliance manager at the DIA, her office has been following the international debate closely. But, she said, they do not think that lootboxes meet the legal definition of gambling under New Zealand’s Gambling Act 2003. She added that, in any case, it was not illegal for New Zealanders to gamble online with overseas providers."
This view seems to be shared by ESRB and PEGI, the two organizations responsible for rating games in the US and internationally. However, the rulings of a country supersede the opinion of an organization, meaning the fallout of Belgium and the UK's stance will be an interesting one. Ironically, Blizzard thinks the lootboxes in Overwatch do not belong in the controversy because of its lack of converting to real-world value.
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