Danish Gambling Authority Targets Loot Box Mechanics in Video Games with Parental Awareness Campaign
Denmark's gambling authority launched a campaign to warn parents about loot boxes and in-game gambling-style mechanics affecting children.Summary
The Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden) has launched the "Casino in the Children's Room" campaign to alert parents to gambling-style features in video games, such as loot boxes and random rewards. Director Anders Dorph emphasized that parents should focus on game content and mechanics, not just screen time. The campaign includes a short film depicting a child's bedroom as a casino and temporary "Casino Kids" installations in Aarhus, Odense, and Copenhagen, with additional guidance available at StyrPåSpillet.dk. A cited Swedish study from Spelinspektionen found that 87% of respondents who purchased loot boxes before age 15 later exhibited risky gambling behaviors as adults. The initiative coincides with Danish gambling reforms, including resubmitted legislation from October 2025 by Tax and Growth Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt, which would ban under-25s from gambling advertisements and prohibit marketing during live sports broadcasts, with phased implementation from January to October 2027.
(Source：Sccg Management)