On the other hand, I'm absolutely amazed some US states hasn't yet gone after Valve for running an unlicensed casino with no age verification.
On the other hand, I'm absolutely amazed some US states hasn't yet gone after Valve for running an unlicensed casino with no age verification.
I think loot boxes as a whole need to be regulated as they are clearly gambling. I'm not a fan of regulation as a solution to most problems, but when it involves children I think it sets a good framework for safety and if someone wants to start gambling later they are free to do so.
Valve goes one step beyond loot boxes with their marketplace: you get a loot box, pay to open it (basically a slot machine spin), and you get an item in a "game of chance" -- but that item is a "thing of value" that can be sold on Valve's official, first-party marketplace.
Every definition of gambling I've seen includes some variation of "winning a thing of value from a game of chance", and while loot boxes for in-game rewards skirt that (the thing you're getting is typically described in the fine-print as having no monetary value), Valve's user-driven marketplace is setting a real-world value.
Put another way: EA FC's card packs or Genshin Impact's gacha spins are worth nothing outside of those games, but I've sold Counter-Strike skins to pay for a decent chunk of my Steam Deck.