Australia will tighten the classification of video games with loot boxes

The Australian ratings commission Australian Classification has announced that it will soon change the classification order for interactive entertainment that contains loot boxes and elements of gambling.

Image source: Steam (Motoki Masahiro)

As it became known, from September 22, releases containing in-game purchases with an element of chance (for example, loot boxes) will be assigned an age rating of at least M (“from 15 years old”).

Projects with simulated gambling (this applies to both casino games and works with interactive forms of gambling) will automatically receive R18+ (“Adults Only”). Such products are prohibited from sale to minors.

Screenshot from Dragon Quest XI – a Japanese RPG not about gambling at all (image source: Square Enix)

In other words, a conditional Red Dead Redemption 2 with the ability to play poker, according to the new rules, would have to earn an R18+ rating in Australia (versus the current MA15+).

It can be assumed that such an innovation is aimed against the normalization of gambling among minors. According to ABC News, Australians spend more on online gambling than residents of any other country.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Image source: O Fenomeno on Steam)

Changes in the classification process for interactive entertainment with loot boxes and simulated gambling will affect products for all platforms – from PCs and consoles to smartphones and tablets.

The regulator clarified that the new rules will apply to games released after September 22. Products already available on the market will not be re-rated (except in cases where their rating is suddenly withdrawn).