Legislators around the world have become increasingly concerned with loot boxes, particularly in titles popular with children. In video games, loot boxes are capsules of random virtual items that can be purchased with real money, in-game currency or a combination of the two. The rewards obtained by opening a loot box can range from purely cosmetic items (as is the case for "Overwatch" loot boxes) to rewards that enhance a player's power in-game, a model decried as pay-to-win by many gamers. The implementation of loot boxes in 2017′s "Star Wars Battlefront II," which resulted in a massive public outcry, was a disastrous cautionary tale for publishers pursuing the latter route.

Loot boxes in video games will not be banned in the UK, despite a government consultation finding evidence of a "consistent" association between the features and problem gambling. Loot boxes have attracted comparison with gambling because they allow players to spend money to unlock in-game rewards, such as special characters, weapons or outfits, without knowing what they will get. The features, popular in games such as Call of Duty and the Fifa football series, were effectively banned in Belgium in 2018, but the culture minister, Nadine Dorries, said the UK would not follow suit. Instead, after a 22-month consultation, she said the government would discuss tougher "industry-led" protections with the UK's £7bn gaming sector, drawing allegations from one expert that "foxes are guarding the hen house". Legislating to impose curbs or a prohibition on loot boxes as part of an expected overhaul of the UK's gambling laws could have "unintended consequences", Dorries said.