Dutch Advertising Watchdog Partially Upholds Complaint Against My.Games Over Loot Boxes

The Dutch advertising self-regulatory body, Stichting Reclame Code, has issued a partial ruling in favor of a complaint filed against My.Games, the operator of the mobile game Rush Royale: Tower Defense TD. The complaint, which was submitted on behalf of a child, centered on the game's use of loot boxes and its advertising practices. Specifically, the complaint alleged that the game's store page did not adequately disclose the existence of loot boxes, and that the game's in-game purchases did not provide clear pricing information in euros. The complaint also raised concerns about the game's advertising practices, including the use of ambiguous language that could suggest in-game purchases were free when they were not. My.Games appealed the decision twice, but the commission ultimately upheld the complaint's key points. The self-regulatory body's chairman has recommended that My.Games adhere to the Dutch Advertising Code and the Children and Youth Advertising Code in its future advertising practices. The complaint was filed by Leon Y. Xiao, a video game legal specialist who has been assessing the compliance of popular iPhone games with consumer protection guidelines. According to Xiao, the vast majority of games he assessed did not comply with key rules, including the requirement to display prices in euros for in-game purchases. The case highlights the importance of self-regulatory bodies in enforcing consumer protection laws in the video game industry, and the need for more robust enforcement actions by official regulators to deter non-compliance.