Core Viewpoint - The self-regulation of the loot box industry in the UK has failed, leading to widespread noncompliance and lack of enforcement, particularly affecting consumer protection for children [2][4][5] Group 1: Industry Self-Regulation - The previous Conservative UK government encouraged the gaming industry, represented by Ukie, to self-regulate instead of imposing legislation [1] - A study published in Royal Society Open Science indicates that compliance with self-regulation is very poor, with only 23.5% of the top 100 iPhone games disclosing the presence of loot boxes in their marketing [2] - Only 8.6% of these games consistently disclosed the probabilities of obtaining different rewards, highlighting a significant lack of transparency [2] Group 2: Enforcement Issues - Noncompliant games were reported to Ukie and the UK government over six months ago, yet no enforcement actions have been taken, allowing these games to remain available for download [3] - Ukie had previously promised that noncompliant games would face "severe fines" and "delisting" from app stores, but these promises have not been fulfilled [3] Group 3: Consumer Protection - The current state of noncompliance and lack of enforcement fails to protect consumers, especially children, as initially promised by the industry [4] - Companies are not only breaching self-regulation but also advertising regulations and consumer laws, indicating a need for more proactive enforcement by other regulators [4]
UK loot box self-regulation fails: New study finds rampant non-compliance and no enforcement