‘Zero’ chance it passes: Game analysts break down senator’s anti-loot box bill

Last week, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced that he was introducing a new piece of legislation that would shield kids from certain monetization tactics from video game publishers. The Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act would ban loot boxes and pay-to-win mechanics in games marketed toward players who are under 18.

The bill leaves it to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to enforce the proposed rules, saying that the FTC would “would treat the distribution of such games by publishers and online distributors as an unfair trade practice.” State attorneys would also be able to file lawsuits to “defend the residents of their state.”