UK advertising regulator orders clear loot box disclosures on app store listings

The UK’s advertising watchdog has issued a formal Enforcement Notice requiring publishers to clearly disclose the presence of loot boxes in mobile game listings on major app stores.

The action, announced by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), a sister organization of the Advertising Standards Authority, applies to games listed on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store that fall within the scope of the CAP Code.

Developers, publishers and advertisers have been given until May 26, 2026 to review and amend storefront pages. After that date, CAP and the ASA said they will begin active monitoring of listings and take targeted enforcement action where rules are not followed.

The notice covers mobile games that include loot boxes purchasable with real money or with virtual currency that can only be obtained through payment. Regulators said they have identified multiple cases in which the presence of loot boxes was not made sufficiently clear on store pages.

According to the regulator, the inclusion of loot boxes constitutes “material information” under the CAP Code because it can influence a consumer’s transactional decision. Advertising rules prohibit the omission of such information.

The ASA has previously determined that app store listings fall within the remit of the non-broadcast advertising code, meaning storefront descriptions are treated as advertising communications. The regulator considers the app store page to be the final decision point before download, making transparency at that stage essential.

Generic labels such as “offers in-app purchases” will not be deemed sufficient if they fail to clarify that purchases may involve randomized rewards. Instead, CAP said clear wording such as “contains loot boxes” or “includes random-item purchases” should be placed prominently — for example, at the top of the game description — without requiring users to scroll, expand tabs, or navigate through extended text.

If companies fail to comply, enforcement action may include formal investigations and the banning of non-compliant advertising. The regulator noted it has previously prohibited ads that omitted reference to loot boxes and will continue to investigate breaches across media channels.

Publishers are being held responsible for ensuring compliance, though both Apple and Google have been informed of the updated enforcement position. Built-in platform labels indicating in-app purchases have already been ruled insufficient where loot boxes are involved.

The notice follows the 2025 update and republication of loot box guidance, as well as the adoption of new industry principles agreed with UK trade bodies aimed at improving transparency around paid loot boxes.

While the Enforcement Notice focuses specifically on app store listings, regulators emphasized that the same standards apply to advertising in other media. From late May onward, monitoring will extend to storefront pages to assess whether publishers have implemented prominent disclosures.