Tom Watson calls for crackdown on in-game gambling

Features such as loot boxes need tighter regulation, says deputy Labour leader

Gambling-style features in computer games, which encourage players to pay for items such as loot boxes that may be worth very little, warrant stricter oversight by the Gambling Commission to prevent them becoming a "gateway" to betting addiction, Labour's deputy leader, Tom Watson, said.

Speaking as he proposed much tighter controls on online gambling, including caps on the amount that consumers can gamble, Watson said not enough was being done to deal with gambling through games.