U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire has issued a letter to the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) outlining her concerns with microtransactions, specifically with regards to loot boxes in video games.
Sen. Hassan expressed her concerns during a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing in which she also questioned nominees to be Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioners if they would be willing to take a closer look at video game addiction and loot boxes, which Hassan believes may contribute to addiction.
Sen. Hassan specifically refers to games allowing “in-game purchases for surprise winnings” which are targeted to, and used by, children who may be “particularly susceptible to being addicted to them.” Sen. Hassan also mentioned the recent World Health Organization update which added “gaming disorder” as a diagnosable disorder as a reason for concern.