Letters | Hong Kong can regulate video game loot boxes by enforcing its laws

Readers discuss how to tackle gambling-like products, support for working mothers, Hong Kong’s tourism revival, and promoting recycling

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Capsule toy vending machines, known in Japan as gachapon, have become popular outside the country. This and other popular physical gambling-like products should be more strictly regulated. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 11:30am, 15 May 2025Updated: 2:17pm, 15 May 2025

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I refer to recent letters published on April 11 and 28, arguing in favour of stricter regulation of video games in Hong Kong.

Your correspondents were right to highlight concerns associated with children’s engagement with gambling-like products, such as loot boxes in video games offering random rewards in exchange for money. Young people might overspend and experience harm.

The broader trend towards the normalisation of gambling may also lead to increased acceptance of and participation in traditional gambling, such as sports betting, causing future harm.

As an academic and lawyer, I have researched how gambling-like products are regulated across the world for seven years. Loot boxes are already subject to different regulations in several other jurisdictions. Hong Kong is unfortunately falling behind.

A complete ban is difficult to enforce. However, transparency requirements as adopted in Europe and South Korea, such as telling players and parents that a game contains in-game purchase offers and loot boxes in any advertising (including app store product listing pages), could help them be more aware of potential risks and avoid certain games as needed.