Loot Box Lawsuits Liken Transactions to Slot Machine Gambling

The limitations on people’s social lives caused by Covid-19 have pushed many to try, or spend more time engaging in, Electronic Arts’ Madden NFL, Epic Games Inc.'s Fortnite, and other online games that several new suits allege hook players on gambling.

Suits against game makers like EA and Epic Games, and platforms like Google and Apple, liken transactions called “loot boxes” to Las Vegas-style slot machines, and assert they are illegal under California anti-gambling law.

The litigation over the items—digital grab bags that offer the chance to acquire virtual things like weapons and avatars—is expected to grow as the ...