Saint Paul, Minn. – State Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South Saint Paul) introduced H.F. 4460, which would regulate “loot box” gambling in video games. During today’s House vote on fantasy sports games, Rep. Hansen also put forward the proposal as an amendment. This was the first public discussion of the issue in Minnesota, with members of both parties speaking favor.
“This is a first step in starting this conversation,” remarked Rep. Hansen. “People are spending real money on random drawings in video games. Minnesota regulates gambling and when loot boxes meet the threshold to be considered gambling, then we need to treat it as such and regulate it too.”
H.F. 4460 would prohibit game purchases that result in random rewards or items that can be redeemed for random rewards for those under the age of 18. It would also require games to carry a standard warning explaining the risks of gambling.
This issue is coming up in legislatures across the United States. For additional background, the New York Times reported Rep. Hansen’s measure and others in “A Video Game ‘Loot Box’ Offers Coveted Rewards, but Is It Gambling?”