A Brazilian court has ordered Apple and several other major gaming and tech companies to pay nearly $60 million in damages over loot boxes in games accessible to minors, with Apple alone ordered to pay about $9.8 million.
Times Brasil reported that the 1st Court for Children and Youth of Brazil’s Federal District ordered the companies to pay R$298 million, or about $58.7 million, in collective moral damages after finding that loot boxes expose children and teenagers to gambling-like mechanics.
According to the ruling, loot boxes can encourage compulsive behavior because players spend money without knowing exactly what reward they will receive. The court said Brazil already protects minors through its Constitution, Child and Adolescent Statute, and Consumer Protection Code, even without a later law focused only on loot boxes.
Apple, Microsoft, and Tencent were each ordered to pay R$50 million, which equals about $9.8 million. Google, Sony, Electronic Arts, Riot Games, Ubisoft, Valve, Konami, and Nintendo received smaller penalties ranging from about $7.8 million to $1 million.
The damages will go to the Federal District’s Fund for the Rights of Children and Adolescents. The court also said minors who bought, opened, or accessed loot boxes can seek individual compensation, but each claimant must prove their link to the practice and show the harm suffered.
The companies must also change how loot boxes work in Brazil. The court ordered refund systems for unauthorized purchases by minors, stronger age checks, clearer warnings about random rewards, and full disclosure of the odds for each item.
