Following a report from MEP Adriana Maldonado López, the European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to establish new, standardised rules offering gamers greater protection from loot box mechanics and other in-game purchases.
In the report, it is believed that there's not enough being done to protect consumers from predatory monetization practises in gaming. According to López, the report highlights "the positives of this pioneering industry, but also social risks we need to bear in mind, like the impact of gaming on mental health. This is something that can particularly affect younger gamers."
In the past, there have been calls to ban loot boxes and similar mechanics, or at least age-restrict the games that use them. However, a lot of the gaming industry has moved towards a battle pass system now, which takes your money without involving gambling.
There are some titles that still hold out on loot boxes, such as CS:GO, but even if this report does lead to a crackdown on them, for the majority of gamers it may be a move made too late. Apart from critiquing the use of in-game purchase mechanics, the report also did praise gaming for its value in education and for gamers' mental health, so it's not all doom and gloom.