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Blockchain could help legalise the loot boxes

Published

7 years ago

July 11, 2018

Loot boxes, which have been in existence for about a decade, have run into legal problems in countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium. The redeemable virtual rewards system, which involves accessing maps, weapons and a whole range of upgrades to your in-game functionality, had already become so popular that some developers have wholly shifted their monetisation models away from paid-for-games to free-to-play games because of the revenue they provide.

But the legal issues are threatening the core business model of loot boxes. That is why developers are thinking of reverting to a business model based on advertising or selling games rather than giving them away for free.

However, there can be another option. Rather than making such a drastic U-turn, they could find salvation in the shape of the blockchain. By implementing a new tokenised economic model that this technology provides, game developers could not only continue to make money without having to rely on advertising but also implement a system that would reward gamers for the time they spend playing games.

The problem with loot boxes

Loot boxes first emerged in Asia, but have become more well-known after social game developers like Zynga successfully implemented them. Since then, loot boxes have slowly begun to embed themselves into the fabric of most games, even where their incorporation seems unnecessary. Then loot boxes’ presence in triple-A console games like Overwatch, Battlefront 2, and Shadow of War ramped up their presence in terms of public awareness.

When an entry fee or cost is present in a gaming monetisation scheme, along with luck or chance, and the potential for some type of monetary gain, the scheme is almost definitely going to be considered gambling as a result of those three key elements. Since loot boxes have both a cost and a “random element,” they have landed game makers in hot water with regulators. The cash purchase of these boxes, for regulators in the Netherlands and Belgium, resembles gambling – and is therefore an illegal offering.

While companies like EA have said they will persist with loot boxes, confident that other regulators do not see the situation in the same way as the Belgian or the Dutch authorities, there is no guarantee that other authorities would not act to quash them.

Blockchain as a solution

Rather than putting these key revenue flows at risk though, one potential path that publishers could pursue is to leverage a new form of blockchain monetisation. For example, my company, Loot, has a new mining process that leverages player skill to generate new units of cryptocurrency instead of GPU or CPU mining.

All blockchain networks have some sort of incentive mechanism built into them, which helps the network to function properly. In the case of Bitcoin, this is the proof of work algorithm that keeps the network secure and trustworthy by making it hard to add new transaction data to the blockchain. For game networks, the algorithm could be based not on computational power, but gameplay and the “work” done by players. This would eliminate the initial entry fee, which would prevent regulators from labelling it gambling.

Even though you can already earn virtual currencies within games, cryptocurrencies that are mined and awarded as a result of gameplay are a unique new solution because traditional virtual currencies in games have no value outside of the game, while cryptocurrencies hold their value everywhere. This is the key, because if the coins players spend in the game to buy loot boxes and other items have real value outside of the game, the developers can accept their own in-game coins as real payment for their items. This solves the problem of traditional entry fees and ultimately eliminates the consumer risk that is arguably the most important of the three elements that define what is gambling and what is not.

From the game publisher’s perspective, this would mean they could continue to offer loot boxes but just have them paid for with cryptocurrency that gamers have mined and earned from their skill in play, instead of with real money.

For example, in Overwatch players are currently unable to spend in-game credits and have to spend real money or wait for a level up to grab a loot box. If the in-game credits were a cryptocurrency generated on a blockchain as a result of player skill, Blizzard could accept the credits as payment (at no cost to the user) and exchange the credits for dollars like any other cryptocurrency. This means the players do not have to spend any of their “real” money while the developer has the same revenue they did before.

As publishers and developers consider the effect that loot box regulation might have on profits, they should consider blockchain technology as a potential solution. Publishers should understand that this innovative new technology could safeguard existing revenue streams and also incentivise gamers to play more.

Tobias Batton is CEO of Signal Zero. The company behind Loot, the world’s first blockchain protocol that allows gamers to earn and mine tradable tokens as a result of their skill and without entry fees.

Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network

Related Topics:Blockchain gambling industry in Europe Zynga

George Miller

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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Latest News

ChicksX Unlocks $500M Monthly Processing Capacity Through Nuvei Integration

Published

25 minutes ago

September 30, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Exchange becomes one of the few globally offering direct credit/debit integration with the industry’s lowest fees

ChicksX, the rapidly expanding cryptocurrency exchange, today announced the completion of its integration with Nuvei, a global payment technology company processing over $100 billion annually.

The integration provides ChicksX with processing capacity exceeding $500 million monthly, positioning the exchange to serve users across more than 150 countries. This infrastructure upgrade removes previous scaling limitations as the platform prepares for exponential user growth.

“This Nuvei integration removes our last scaling bottleneck,” said Al Alof, CEO of ChicksX. “We’re now infrastructure-ready for the next million users. While others talk about mainstream adoption, we’ve built the rails to actually deliver it.”

The partnership, which required months of technical integration work, enables instant fiat deposits and withdrawals through traditional banking rails. Users can now seamlessly move between crypto and fiat currencies using their existing payment methods.

Key capabilities include:

Direct Visa/Mastercard processing through Nuvei
The industry’s lowest card transaction fees
$500M+ monthly card processing capacity
Available in 150+ countries
Support for all major payment methods
Bank-grade fraud protection
Instant deposits and withdrawals

The integration comes as cryptocurrency exchanges worldwide struggle with payment processing limitations. ChicksX’s early investment in premium infrastructure positions the company ahead of competitors still relying on outdated payment systems.

The partnership positions ChicksX uniquely in a market where major exchanges like Binance and others have faced widespread credit card restrictions.

The post ChicksX Unlocks $500M Monthly Processing Capacity Through Nuvei Integration appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Latest News

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – September 22-28

Published

2 hours ago

September 30, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.

Latest News

The Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR), an entity that brings together the leading operators of regulated sports betting and online gaming in Brazil and worldwide, is beginning a process of leadership transition. Fernando Vieira is leaving the executive presidency of the institution to pursue a new professional opportunity in another sector. The association has already started the process of selecting Fernando’s successor, and during this transition period, André Gelfi, current director, board member and one of the founders of the entity, will serve as interim president. During his tenure, Fernando was one of the most active voices in consolidating the regulated betting sector in Brazil, helping to shape the public debate, expanding the responsible gaming agenda and leading the fight against the illegal market, which still represents a large portion of activity in the country.

Genius Sports Limited has announced that it has acquired Sports Innovation Lab, the leader in sports fan data. The acquisition fast-tracks the expansion of Genius Sports’ media business, combining the most comprehensive official game data with the deepest fan intelligence available. Together, the two companies will deliver a 360° view of the modern fan journey, uniting on-field performance with off-field transactions, unlocking new value and innovation across the global sports ecosystem. This combination creates the most comprehensive fan database in sports and entertainment, tracking billions of annual transactions, including purchases, attendance and viewership. It enables brands and agencies to target fans with unmatched precision, directly connect campaigns to real behaviours and transactions, and deliver measurable ROI across every channel.

Partnerships

CT Gaming has announced another successful installation in the Latin American region, strengthening its footprint in one of the most dynamic gaming markets worldwide. In partnership with Group Caliente, CT Gaming has introduced the Diamond King 4 multigame on the cutting-edge NEXT cabinet at the operator’s venue in the region of Tijuana, Mexico. This installation brings a premium gaming experience, combining next-generation hardware with one of CT Gaming’s most celebrated multigames. This is not the first collaboration between CT Gaming and Group Caliente, as the two companies have built a strong and lasting partnership over the years. However, the new project represents an important step forward, further enhancing the gaming offerings available to players in the region.

BetMGM has announced a new content partnership making BetMGM the presenting sponsor of Playmaker HQ’s “Roommates Show” with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. Playmaker HQ, part of Better Collective’s global House of Brands, is also debuting “No Limit” under its dedicated casino content arm, All In – a new show featuring former NBA star Iman Shumpert. BetMGM will serve as the presenting sponsor. “Roommates Show” is a weekly video podcast hosted by Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson, two of the NBA’s top rising stars and backcourt dynamic duo of the New York Knicks. Joining Josh and Jalen is their best friend and college roommate, Matt Hillman, serving as the show’s third co-host. The latest season began September 6 with BetMGM as the presenting sponsor.

The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – September 22-28 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Latest News

Meridianbet’s Largest Shareholder Aleksandar Milovanovic Completes $500,000 Cash-to-Equity Conversion Under Post-Closing Agreement with Parent Company

Published

4 hours ago

September 30, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Aleksandar Milovanović, founder and largest shareholder of Meridianbet, has completed a $500,000 cash-to-equity conversion under the Post-Closing Cash Consideration Conversion Agreement, as specified in the Eighth Amendment to the Amended and Restated Sale and Purchase Agreement with the parent company, Golden Matrix Group (GMGI).

The Eight Amendment was signed on August 29, 2025 and entered into force on September 9, 2025. The underlying SPA was signed June 27, 2023, and the acquisition closed on April 9, 2024 (effective April 1, 2024).

The conversion was executed in five scheduled tranches from September 9 to September 26, 2025.

With the final tranche today, the full $500,000 conversion is complete as agreed. These issuances were made as restricted shares pursuant to the SPA terms and do not affect the overall economics of the post-closing consideration.

The completion of the scheduled tranches converts cash obligations into equity as outlined in the agreement, without changing the overall post-closing economic terms. This process manages cash flow timing and maintains consistency with the agreed-upon shareholder structure.

About Meridianbet

Founded in 2001, Meridianbet Group is a well-established online sports betting and gaming group, licensed and currently operating in 18 jurisdictions across Europe, Africa, and South America. The Meridianbet Group’s successful business model utilizes proprietary technology and scalable systems, allowing it to operate in multiple countries and currencies with an omni-channel approach to markets, including retail, desktop online, and mobile. The Company is part of the Golden Matrix Group.

The post Meridianbet’s Largest Shareholder Aleksandar Milovanovic Completes $500,000 Cash-to-Equity Conversion Under Post-Closing Agreement with Parent Company appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.