# bill amining tp ban loot boxes and pay to win in gaming introduced to congress **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 26, 2019, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-amining-tp-ban-loot-boxes-and-pay-to-win-in-gaming-introduced-to-congress/834531 "2019-05-26T01:52:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2019, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-amining-tp-ban-loot-boxes-and-pay-to-win-in-gaming-introduced-to-congress/834531/1 "2019-05-26T01:52:37Z")
if this passes (which it won’t) it will change a bit in console and pc gaming and totally kill the mobile mess that is google play and Apple’s app store > **[Loot Box Bill Officially Introduced To U.S. Senate](https://www.gameinformer.com/2019/05/23/loot-box-bill-officially-introduced-to-us-senate)** > > The Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act has been officially filed with bipartisan support. I don’t see Apple stopping it as they personally wouldn’t mind but googles gonna be at war … ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2019, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-amining-tp-ban-loot-boxes-and-pay-to-win-in-gaming-introduced-to-congress/834531/2 "2019-05-26T04:01:02Z")
How is this a federal issue? ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2019, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-amining-tp-ban-loot-boxes-and-pay-to-win-in-gaming-introduced-to-congress/834531/3 "2019-05-26T04:30:45Z")
i guess since theres no state lines…and the online gambling ban happened federally …sort of how the eu is trying to do the same thing … ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2019, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-amining-tp-ban-loot-boxes-and-pay-to-win-in-gaming-introduced-to-congress/834531/4 "2019-05-26T05:28:25Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > How is this a federal issue? Interstate Commerce clause. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-amining-tp-ban-loot-boxes-and-pay-to-win-in-gaming-introduced-to-congress/834531/5 "2019-05-26T17:25:23Z")
I don’t know whether this is the correct bill to do it, but this is an area that desperately needs regulation (and more enforcement of existing laws.) I skimmed the text of the bill and it seems pretty decent, though I didn’t think about it very hard or very long. I have pretty selfish reasons for supporting this though. This model is so effective at making money that it is suffocating otherwise good games and making them awkward for the people who better. I’d strongly prefer a one-time or SaaS payment model. I’d also hope it would eliminate the disgusting virtual casinos that have overrun the esports scene. That’s already illegal though and based in Russia so this bill won’t impact those, but it might deny their mechanisms for covering up the gambling. These casinos use high-value game items rather actual money to skirt the law. They have a bunch of trash “influencers” on Youtube in their pocket too (or they are straight-up partners in the casino.)