[comboy]

Should all gambling be illegal then? I fail to see the problem with it. If somebody feels that's where she wants to put her money - great. If you arguing that's poor use of somebody's money then you may also want to ban whole lot of foods and gadgets. Those can be addictive too.

[nicktelford]

Gambling is tightly controlled and age-restricted in most countries, usually only available to those aged 18+.

Publishers have been using the argument that loot boxes aren't gambling in order to justify making them available to minors. As far as I'm aware, Belgiums' decision to ban them is more a recognition that they are, in fact, gambling, and therefore should not be available to minors.

[koolba]

I think it’s the targeting. I’m no prude by any stretch and am in favor of both legalized gambling and prostitution. But I wouldn’t want either to be marketed or directly available to minors.

That extends to gaming platforms and the trend toward randomized loot boxes. It’s not “like gambling”. It is gambling. Arguably worse though as there’s no regulatory oversight.

[tomhoward]

Good laws recognise that where preferences/tendencies are likely to become addictions for some people, they cease to be merely conscious "wants" or "choices", and thus some level of control is required to limit the damage both to the individual and to society.

[dagw]

Gambling, both online and at casinos is perfectly legal in Belgium (and most EU countries) so this is not in any way about making gambling illegal. This is just about making companies that sell gambling 'products' adhere to the regulations that exist for gambling.