Australian video game classification system changes to curb underage loot box exposure
Games that include in-game purchases linked to games of chance will fall under new rules later this month as changes first outlined by the Australian government in 2020 come into effect
The Australian government is set to implement changes on how certain video games are classified due to the presence of loot boxes within them, amid growing concerns around children’s exposure to gambling-like products.
Games containing in-game purchases that are “linked to elements of chance”, which include paid-for loot boxes, will be given a minimum classification of ‘M’, which will mean it is not recommended for children under the age of 15.
Other games that feature simulated gambling-like casino games will be subject to a legal restriction that limits it to users above the age of 18, with a corresponding classification of ‘R 18+’.
The changes will come into effect on 22 September 2024 and will apply to games played on computers, gaming consoles, phones and tablets.
The R 18+ classification means it is illegal for anyone to sell or distribute these games to anyone under the age of 18, though the M classification is an advisory rating that carries no legal weight when it comes to the distribution of associated games.
Note, games that have already received a classification before 22 September will not be reclassified.
However, if those same games then become unclassified through revocation or modification, they will then be reviewed under the new guidelines before being classified again.
Video games currently classified G or PG that add in-game purchases linked to elements of chance after 22 September are expected to be reclassified.
Under the new M classification parameters, any game that allows players to purchase loot boxes or other randomised rewards, as well as keys to open loot boxes, using real money, or in-game currency purchased with real money, is expected to fall under the new remit.
The update, issued by the country’s Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA), outlines that “social casino games that solely consist of simulated gambling activities such as slot machine simulators, roulette wheels or other age-restricted gambling or betting services” are likely to be given an R 18+ classification.
The same applies for video games that include interactive activities such as slot machine simulators.
The upcoming changes are the result of a review into the Australian classification system that took place in 2020. At the time, the IGEA expressed its disappointment at the changes.
They mark the latest significant developments within Australian gambling, just days after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese admitted the “connection between sports and gambling needs to be broken”, but went on to reveal he is strongly opposed to calls for a total gambling ban from anti-gambling lobbyists.