No video game loot boxes for buyers under 21, say proposed Hawaii bills

Hawaii state Rep. Chris Lee has helped spearhead the legislative effort against loot boxes in his state and others.

The Hawaii state legislature is now considering two sets of bills that would regulate games containing randomized in-game item purchases-commonly known as loot boxes-much like casino games, barring minors from purchase and requiring odds disclosures and public warnings.

House Bill 2686 and its accompanying Senate version would prohibit retailers (including those that operate online) from selling games that include "a system of further purchasing a randomized reward or rewards" to anyone under 21 years of age.

Many US retailers already prevent children under 17 from buying games rated "M for Mature" or "AO for Adults Only" by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). Those voluntary restrictions don't have the force of law, though, and a landmark 2011 Supreme court decision overturned state laws that attempted such content-based age restrictions on First Amendment grounds. That decision would likely not apply to the commerce-based restrictions in these bills, though.

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