The British advertising regulators, ASA and CAP, are demanding clear labelling of offers promoting mobile games in app stores that contain loot boxes that can be purchased with real money or virtual currency. From May onwards, compliance will be monitored and enforcement measures taken.
The changes were announced in a so-called enforcement notice. The notice refers to offers in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store that advertise mobile games containing loot boxes that can be purchased with real money or virtual currency and are only available through purchase.
According to the advertising regulator, consumers must know whether a game contains loot boxes before purchasing or downloading it. The best way to do this is with a prominent disclosure statement. This should be placed in a location where it can be seen quickly and clearly. Furthermore, consumers should not have to scroll or browse for a long time to find the information.
According to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), monitoring of compliance with the rules will begin on 26 May. Targeted enforcement measures will be taken if necessary.
