Hawley cited Candy Crush as an example of "pay to win" games. Photo: Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) will propose banning "pay to win" features in some video games, as well as certain in-game "loot boxes," in upcoming legislation first announced on Wednesday.
The bottom line: These bans would be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general. It would target games for children under 18 and games with a wide user base but "whose developers knowingly allow minor players to engage in microtransactions," per Hawley's press release.
Details: The FTC would treat the distribution of games with "pay to win" features and "loot boxes" as an "unfair trade practice," Hawley's office said.
- Hawley said game developers "shouldn't be able to monetize addiction" in children and highlighted the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act as a baseline guide for the bill.
Go deeper: How loot boxes hooked gamers and left regulators spinning