Pokemon Go facing legal action for gambling?

Pokemon Go Eggs & Gifts

In the ever changing world of Pokemon Go, they have now decided to experiment with the players. Only the cause of these changes goes much deeper than what is seen on the surface.

Players within Pokemon Go can earn eggs either through spinning stops, battling Team Rocket leaders, or receiving eggs through gifts received from other players on their friends list.

Up until now, the contents of the 2km, 5km, 7km, 10km, and 12km eggs, have remained a mystery for all.

A few players were selected at random within the game, who can now preview the contents of eggs, before deciding if they wish to incubate that particular egg.

I personally am one of those players, and I have to say from a players perspective, it is a good addition to the game (and I was very relieved not to see one egg containing a Stunfisk, the struggle is real on that front).

But why all of a sudden have they made this change?

The move comes after what could be part of a preempting legal restriction on loot boxes in Europe. Last year, EA were fined a huge 10 million euros, in a case over FIFA Ultimate Team Packs, and the inability to see the contents before purchasing.

READ MORE: Pokemon: Best Pokemon Gym Leaders in Every Region

Following this, there was a ban on loot boxes, in association with the country’s gambling authority.

Epic game has also been involved in a similar action over Fortnite: Save the World, and now, Loot Llamas purchased within Save the World, display the contents, so that you know exactly what you are receiving for your V Bucks. To apologise for this, they gave each player 1000 v bucks.

Credit : Epic Games

By hiding the contents of such boxes within games, it is being seen as a way to promote gambling, which in turn, may causing gambling addictions. And realistically, that is exactly what it does.

You incubate an egg with wonderment and excitement, to see what the egg contains (and as mentioned further up, this can be full of disappointment), or when a new Pokemon appears, it does fill you with that sense of achievement.

Given the amount of younger people that play these games, it is easy to see why this move has been taken incredibly seriously.

READ MORE: 7 Unknown Pokemon Games You’ve Never Played

I feel it is necessary to say, that should you ever have any issues with gambling, please reach out to friends or family, and if you don’t feel that is an option, there are many agencies available globally to help. It is so important you make that call and reach out to someone for advice.

All in all, a very sensible move from Niantic.

Similar Posts