China\u2019s new regulations are similar to those proposed by Australian politician Nick Xenophon, who drafted a bill<\/a> in July looking to define titles like CS:GO and Dota 2, which prominently feature in-game loot boxes or \u201cchests,\u201d as gambling.<\/p>
In-game items, or skins as they are most commonly known in CS:GO, that players receive from purchasing loot boxes were at the center of much controversy in 2016. An unregulated gambling market established itself around these items, where underaged players could gamble absurd sums of money by betting skins on esports matches. Several lawsuits were filed towards the game\u2019s developer Valve, including one<\/a> from the Washington Gambling Commission.<\/p>