Apple, Google Sued Over ‘Loot Boxes’ in Downloaded Games

Apple Inc. and Google LLC unlawfully entice children and adolescents to engage in gambling and similar addictive conduct through “loot box” purchases for games downloaded from the App Store and Google Play, according to separate suits in California federal court.

Loot boxes “have all the hallmarks of a Las Vegas-style slot machine, including the psychological aspects to encourage and create addiction,” according to the would-be class suits in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Under California law they constitute illegal “slot machines or devices” when played on a iPhone, iPad, or other similar device, the suits ...