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UK Will Not Ban Video Games Loot Boxes Despite Problem Gambling Findings
Loot boxes in video games will not be banned in the UK, despite a government consultation finding evidence of a “consistent” association between the features and problem gambling.
Loot boxes have attracted comparison with gambling because they allow players to spend money to unlock in-game rewards, such as special characters, weapons or outfits, without knowing what they will get.
The features, popular in games such as Call of Duty and the Fifa football series, were effectively banned in Belgium in 2018, but the culture minister, Nadine Dorries, said the UK would not follow suit.
Instead, after a 22-month consultation, she said the government would discuss tougher “industry-led” protections with the UK’s £7bn gaming sector, drawing allegations from one expert that “foxes are guarding the hen house”.
Legislating to impose curbs or a prohibition on loot boxes as part of an expected overhaul of the UK’s gambling laws could have “unintended consequences”, Dorries said.
“For example, legislation to introduce an outright ban on children purchasing loot boxes could have the unintended effect of more children using adult accounts, and thus having more limited parental oversight of their play and spending,” the government said.
The government also concluded that while there was “a stable and consistent” association between loot boxes and problem gambling – identified across 15 peer reviewed studies – it could not be sure that there was a causative link.
“Our view is that it would be premature to take legislative action without first pursuing enhanced industry-led measures to deliver protections for children and young people and all players,” it said.
Another factor in the decision is that loot box rewards cannot legitimately be exchanged for real money, meaning players cannot in theory “cash out” as they might when gambling.
However, the Gambling Commission has previously warned that third-party sites are allowing people to exchange the rewards for real money.
While the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) stopped short of proposing legislation, Dorries said: “Children and young people should not be able to purchase loot boxes without parental approval.
“In addition, all players should have access to spending controls and transparent information to support their gaming.”
Ministers are expected to pursue tougher curbs through talks with the UK video games industry. This will be done via a working group, which is scheduled to deliver its first update in the first three months of 2023.
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Million Games is pleased to announce the release of Million Mine, a strategic, grid-based casino game inspired by the beloved mechanics of minesweeper. Offering a modern update to the classic format, Million Mine lets players select their difficulty, uncover hidden diamonds, and cash out before disaster strikes.
The game features:
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Customisable grid sizes from 3×3 to 7×7
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Mines selection from 3 to 24 for adjustable volatility
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Instant cashout after any successful pick
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A 96.3% RTP and a high multiplier ceiling
Each tile revealed adds tension and reward, making Million Mine a fast-paced, strategic game of choice and nerve.
“Million Mine is deceptively simple—but a great player experience,” said Thomas Nimstad, CEO of Million Games. “It’s familiar, clean, and highly customisable. We see it becoming a favourite for both casual players and high-stakes explorers.”
Million Mine is now available across all Million Games partner platforms.
The post Million Games Launches Million Mine – A Strategic Grid Game Inspired by a Classic appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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ReferOn Shortlisted for Acquisition & Retention Partner of the Year at SBC Lisbon 2025
ReferOn, a next-gen affiliate management platform, has officially been nominated for the “Acquisition & Retention Partner (Supplier)” category at SBC Lisbon 2025, cementing its position as a key partner for operators and affiliate teams.
This shortlisting highlights the platform’s rapid growth in 2025 due to its developments that address real problems affiliate managers face, a passionate product-minded team, and ambitious plans to empower users in the affiliate marketing industry.
ReferOn challenges legacy platforms by creating a simple and accessible system built for modern needs and placing affiliate marketing at the forefront of growth strategy. Key features such as full-cycle automation, customisable dashboards and reports in pivot-style format, instant postbacks, and real-time data visibility reduce chaos and bring clarity to operations, ultimately boosting performance. Additionally, powerful tools like the Sub-Affiliate System, No Bundling Model, and dynamic variables provide managers with increased control.
Vlad Bondarenko, ReferOn’s Head of Product, commented on the nomination, “Acquisition and retention aren’t just buzzwords to keep affiliates happy. They’re real benchmarks that help our users drive growth and scale. The ReferOn team has proudly built a platform that gives affiliate managers real control, clarity, and speed over their operations to help achieve their
goals. This nomination reflects our efforts and how far we’ve come regarding pushing the industry forward and challenging the status quo.”
The nomination for the “Acquisition & Retention Partner (Supplier)” category bolsters ReferOn’s roadmap and growth trajectory. Going forward, the team will continue to invest in impactful product developments and customer-facing services to become the leading platform for affiliate managers.
Key ReferOn members will be in attendance at the SBC Lisbon Awards 2025 ceremony on September 18 for a night celebrating excellence and innovation.
The post ReferOn Shortlisted for Acquisition & Retention Partner of the Year at SBC Lisbon 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
This text contains puns. Reader discretion is advised.
“Dragon’s Diamonds” is now live, a fang-tastic 6×5 new scatter-pays slot from the Berlin-based developer Hölle Games with wins of up to 12,000x.
Unlike the miserly reputation they’re known for (a tall tail), the Hölle Dragon is a generous beast (with a fiery personality). With every matching cluster that lands, the Dragon will breathe flames onto the reels – removing winning symbols and allowing more to fall into place. There is no limit to the number of potential cascades that can occur here, so lucky players can quickly scale-up their hoard of wins.
Plus, hitting 4 or more scatters to enter the Free Spins will unlock the Feature Multiplier, which cumulates all Multiplier wins across the entirety of the Free Spins. Re-triggers can be clawed out too, with only 3 scatters needed.
For any players who find the base game is dragon-on, there is the Stake Boost feature, which increases the chances of hitting the Feature for a slightly higher stake, or also the option of directly entering Free Spins via the Feature Buy. That’s no fire-drill!
The game is now available for MGA with other territories winging it this way soon.
The post SHINE ON DRAGON’S DIAMONDS appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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