What are loot boxes?
Random-item purchases aka “loot boxes” are in-game purchases that contain an element of chance, in which the consumer does not know what they will receive until the transaction is completed. Players take the risk in purchasing a loot box in the hope that they might receive rare or powerful ‘loot’. Depending on the game this could be a weapon, a skin, a power up, an emote, a special character etc. This is a common practice in modern gaming, particularly in free-to-play mobile games.
CAP initially issued guidance on advertising in-game purchases in 2021 following a consultation period. This was then reviewed in 2025. The guidance states that the presence of loot boxes within a game is material information to a consumer’s decision to purchase or download it, particularly for those with specific vulnerabilities. There have subsequently been ASA rulings examining this issue in more detail.
Remit
To be in remit, the loot boxes must be available for purchase with real money or virtual currency that can only be obtained by purchasing. This is because the purpose of the virtual currency is to enable players to exchange it for in-game items, and the decision to spend it is fundamentally a decision to spend real money.
Ads for games that include this practice are subject to the Code where they appear in media within its scope.
App Stores – Advertiser location
The ASA has ruled that app store listings targeting UK consumers are subject to the Code regardless of the location of the advertiser. ASA rulings from 2025 upheld against app store listing ads from advertisers who were based in Canada and Cyprus.
App Stores – Disclosure
The ASA has ruled that app store listings for games which contain loot boxes should clearly state this in a prominent location. A statement like “Includes random-item purchases” or “Contains loot boxes” could be used to inform consumers about the presence of this practice.
Consumers should not be expected to expand an “About this Game” section (or equivalent), or to scroll through several paragraphs of a description, in order to discover that a game contains loot boxes. A disclosure statement positioned prominently at the top of this section is likely to provide sufficient clarity.
References to products within the itemised list of in-game purchases required by some app stores have also been ruled not, in and of themselves, to constitute sufficient disclosure.
Some app stores include a built-in label to indicate when a game features in-game purchases. However, the ASA has ruled that labels such as “Offers In-App Purchases” are not sufficient, on their own, to ensure that consumers understand those purchases may include loot boxes.
Other Media
Any ad that falls under the Scope of the Code can be assessed by the ASA. Aside from app store listings, the ASA has also upheld rulings on ads appearing on Facebook for advertising games that contained loot boxes that did not disclose at all, or legibly.
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