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    Loot boxes

    Also known as paid random items, gacha, card packs, prize wheels

    A loot box is an item in a video game that players buy with real money and that contains randomised contents.[1] Chance-based mechanics like these earned an estimated $23 billion worldwide in 2025,[2] and as of October 2026 they face age-rating changes in Europe and a ban on sales to minors in Brazil.[3][4]

    Editor reviewedUpdated GamingTech policy
    Key facts

    What a loot box is

    A loot box is an item in a video game that can be bought with real-world money and contains randomised contents.[1] Ratings bodies define the category broadly. The ESRB’s “In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)” notice, introduced in April 2020, covers loot boxes, gacha games, item or card packs, prize wheels and treasure chests.[5] PEGI calls the same mechanic “paid random items” and counts an item as paid when it is bought directly with money or with a virtual currency that can be bought with money.[6]

    The indirect-currency point matters. In January 2025 the US Federal Trade Commission’s settlement with the maker of Genshin Impact barred it from selling loot boxes through virtual currency without also offering a direct real-money option.[7] The same settlement included a $20 million payment and a block on purchases by children under 16 without parental consent.[8]

    Why they are controversial

    Loot boxes have been controversial for years. The 2017 game Star Wars Battlefront II drew a backlash over features that tied player success to random purchases, and Electronic Arts changed the game in response.[9]

    The research concern is gambling. A 2018 survey of 7,422 gamers found a link between how much people spent on loot boxes and the severity of their problem gambling.[10] That link was stronger than the one between problem gambling and other in-game purchases.[11] The authors said the study could not show whether loot boxes lead people into problem gambling or whether people with gambling problems spend more on loot boxes.[12]

    How much money is involved

    Chance-based mechanics like loot boxes generated about $23 billion for video game companies worldwide in 2025, according to S&P data reported by Bloomberg.[2] The mechanic persists because it lets companies give a game away free to reach a large audience and earn from optional purchases.[13] Across the games market, Newzoo expects growth to depend more on spending by existing players than on new ones.[14]

    Labels, ratings and bans

    • Labels. The ESRB in North America has used a random-items notice since 2020.[5]
    • Europe. Since June 2026, PEGI has given new games with paid random items a default PEGI 16, or PEGI 18 in some cases.[15] In October 2026 it began raising digital-only games rated PEGI 3, 7 or 12 that contain loot boxes to PEGI 16.[3]
    • United Kingdom. The government said in 2022 that most loot boxes are not legally gambling and chose industry-led measures over new law.[16][17]
    • Brazil. Law 15.211 bans loot boxes in games aimed at or likely to be accessed by children and adolescents, effective 17 March 2026.[4][18]
    • United States. As of mid-2026 the US relied on industry self-regulation, with enforcement through consumer-protection cases such as the Genshin Impact settlement.[19][8]

    Rules are moving fastest on protections for children.[4][3] The arguments for and against stricter rules are set out in the loot box regulation debate. The mechanic’s place in game design is covered in how game mechanics work.

    Questions readers ask

    Are loot boxes gambling?

    Legally it depends on the country. The UK government concluded in 2022 that most loot boxes are not gambling under its Gambling Act because prizes cannot be converted into real money.[16]

    Do loot boxes cause problem gambling?

    A 2018 survey of 7,422 gamers found a link between loot box spending and problem gambling severity, but the authors said it was unclear which causes which.[10][12]

    Do card packs count as loot boxes?

    Ratings bodies treat them the same way. ESRB's random-items label covers loot boxes, gacha, item or card packs and prize wheels.[5]

    What age rating does a game with loot boxes get in Europe?

    Since June 2026 PEGI gives new games with paid random items a default PEGI 16, and from October 2026 it began raising older digital-only games with loot boxes to PEGI 16.[15][3]

    Sources

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Status shows how well established it is.

    1. [1]

      Loot boxes are items in video games that can be bought with real-world money and contain randomised contents. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    2. [2]

      According to S&P research data reported by Bloomberg, chance-based mechanics such as loot boxes generated about $23 billion for video game companies worldwide in 2025. reportedas of 2026-07-04

    3. [3]

      Starting in October 2026, PEGI began re-rating digital-only games rated PEGI 3, 7 or 12 that contain paid random items such as loot boxes, raising them to PEGI 16. confirmedas of 2026-10-06

    4. [4]

      Brazil's Law 15.211 of 17 September 2025, the Digital Statute of Children and Adolescents, prohibits loot boxes in electronic games aimed at or likely to be accessed by children and adolescents. confirmedas of 2025-09-17

    5. [5]

      In April 2020 the ESRB introduced an "In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)" notice for games that sell randomised items, including loot boxes, gacha, item or card packs, prize wheels and treasure chests. confirmedas of 2020-04-13

    6. [6]

      PEGI counts random items as "paid" if they can be bought directly with real money or with an in-game virtual currency that can itself be bought with real money. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    7. [7]

      The FTC's proposed order against Genshin Impact's maker barred it from selling loot boxes through virtual currency without also offering a direct real-money purchase option. confirmedas of 2025-01-17

    8. [8]

      In January 2025 the maker of Genshin Impact agreed to pay $20 million and to block children under 16 from in-game purchases without parental consent to settle FTC allegations. confirmedas of 2025-01-17

    9. [9]

      The 2017 game Star Wars Battlefront II drew an industry backlash over features that tied player success to random purchases, and Electronic Arts changed the game's mechanics in response. reportedas of 2026-07-04

    10. [11]

      In the 2018 PLOS ONE survey, the link between problem gambling and loot box spending was stronger than the link between problem gambling and spending on other in-game items. confirmedas of 2018-11-21

    11. [12]

      The authors of the 2018 PLOS ONE survey said it was unclear whether buying loot boxes leads to problem gambling or whether problem gamblers are drawn to spend heavily on loot boxes. confirmedas of 2018-11-21

    12. [13]

      Loot box mechanics remain popular because they let companies offer games for free to attract large audiences while earning revenue from optional microtransactions. reportedas of 2026-07-04

    13. [14]

      Newzoo expects growth from new players to weaken through 2029 as player penetration and conversion flatten, making monetisation of existing players more important. reportedas of 2026-09-23· forecast

    14. [15]

      Under PEGI's 2026 criteria, a game containing paid random items gets a default rating of PEGI 16, and in some cases PEGI 18. confirmedas of 2026-03-12

    15. [16]

      The UK government said in 2022 that most loot boxes do not meet the legal definition of gambling under the Gambling Act 2005, because prizes stay in the game and cannot be converted into real money. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    16. [17]

      The UK government decided in 2022 not to change the Gambling Act or other statutory consumer protections for loot boxes, preferring industry-led measures first. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    17. [18]

      Brazil's Law 15.211 took effect on 17 March 2026. confirmedas of 2026-03-17

    18. [19]

      As of July 2026 the United States relied on the games industry to self-regulate loot boxes. reportedas of 2026-07-04

    Revision history (1)
    1. Page created.

    Created Oct 10, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 10, 2026. Next scheduled review: Jan 10, 2027.

    Cite this page

    "Loot boxes." ContentLora, updated Oct 10, 2026. https://contentlora.com/wiki/loot-boxes

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