Brazil Considers Fining Game Developers $700,000 for Loot Boxes

[Tsing]

Image: Blizzard



Brazil is so unhappy about the presence of loot boxes in video games that it’s considering imposing major fines on any developer who dares to put these randomized, consumable virtual items in their games. The proposed legislation stems from the country’s National Association of Child and Adolescent Defense Centers (ANCED), which argued that the mechanics behind loot boxes are most certainly a form of gambling. Gambling is illegal throughout Brazil, hence the proposal for potential fines as high as BRL $4 million (around $706,000) daily.



Companies selling loot boxes could be facing a daily fine of up to $700,000https://t.co/Dz0q1V8H4X— GamesIndustry (@GIBiz) April 6, 2021



The inquiry targets companies that sell loot boxes...

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[Riccochet]

Title should read "Game developers consider not releasing games in Brazil any longer".

Problem solved. lol

 

[Brian_B]

Title should read "Game developers consider not releasing games in Brazil any longer".

Problem solved. lol

That’s honestly what would happen - just geo block IPs, easy to get around with VPNs, but the distributor can honestly say they didn’t release in Brazil

That or they pull the China release — Brazil gets its own edition with entirely different payment model (and citizen score checking)

 

[Dan_D]

That’s honestly what would happen - just geo block IPs, easy to get around with VPNs, but the distributor can honestly say they didn’t release in Brazil

That or they pull the China release — Brazil gets its own edition with entirely different payment model (and citizen score checking)

This is likely going to be the way they proceed. Although, I believe some states are considering banning loot boxes as well.

 

[Auer]

There won't be any people left alive to play games in Brazil in about 10 years or so.
Problem solved.

 

[Brian_B]

This is likely going to be the way they proceed. Although, I believe some states are considering banning loot boxes as well.

Most I can really see a US state doing is treating it the same as gambling: requiring some level of age verification that will probably easily be bypassed - like COPA