Loot boxes have been around for a while now, but it is only in more recent times that they’ve been put into the spotlight over a controversial debate as to whether or not they are considered gambling. Various authorities around the world have announced that they will be looking into it, while over in Belgium, authorities have indeed classified it as gambling and want it banned across Europe.However it seems that if there is one person who doesn’t think that loot boxes is gambling, it would be Take-Two’s president, Karl Slatoff. Speaking at the Credit Suisse 21st Annual Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, Slatoff was quoted as saying, “The whole gambling regulator thing, we don’t view that sort of thing as gambling.”
He adds, “It’s about overdelivering on content and making sure you’re focused on engagement. That has been our strategy and where we’re focused, and as long as you keep your eye on that ball, you’re going to be OK. The consumer’s going to be really happy with what they get.” Take-Two is the parent company of developers such as Rockstar, who are behind titles like Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, and Max Payne, just to name a few.
That being said, whether or not authorities will agree with Slatoff’s reasoning is a different story, but no doubt that loot boxes and other microtransactions is one of the more popular ways for developers and publishers to earn money these days that go beyond the sale of the game itself.
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