Australia tightens video game ratings to curb gambling-like content

Australia is rolling out new changes to how video games are classified to crack down on gambling-like content within games. From Sunday (September 22), the new government rules will come into effect which could see games such as Pokémon, Zelda, and Animal Crossing given a minimum classification of M (Mature).

The Australian game industry trade body IGEA stated that the updated guidelines define purchases with an “element of chance” as “mystery items players can use real money to buy without knowing what they’ll receive, such as loot boxes.”

This means any game with loot boxes that can be bought using real money may receive an M rating, which is recommended for players aged 15 and older, though this is not legally enforced. However, any game that has simulated gambling, such as casino games or slot machine simulators, will automatically be rated R18+, legally restricting its sale to adults only.

The IGEA added: “The changes will align video game classifications with age-based restrictions that are already in place in the real-world.”

These changes will apply to video games on computers, gaming consoles, phones and tablets. That said, games that are classified before the measure comes into effect, will not be reclassified, “unless they become unclassified through revocation or modification.” The organization says that in these scenarios, video games will need to be reclassified per the new guidelines.

In 2023, Labor MP Peta Murphy argued Australians were among the biggest gambling losers anywhere in the world, and revealed previous attempts to regulate gambling advertising had failed to address the problem.

Consequently, in July, ReadWrite reported that the country’s national self-exclusion registry, BetStop, had seen nearly 26,000 registrations. Individuals who signed up could exclude themselves from all licensed online and mobile betting services in Australia.

A month later, the Alliance for Gambling Reform issued an open letter saying the country had a “gambling addiction.” The 60 signatories included former prime ministers John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull, who stated that it had led to “$25 billion in annual losses.”

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