On an episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz, the US Senator responded to a question about Asmongold and his stance on loot boxes and Pay-to-Win games.
Twitch superstar Asmongold has vehemently stood against loot boxes and often uses his platform as a soapbox to broadcast his views on “predatory” microtransactions.
Asmongold feel’s loot boxes – especially those that offer competitive advantages – are harmful to children. He relates them to gambling and has stated on numerous occasions that the federal government should regulate their availability.
During a stream on June 12, he announced that he had been in contact with Senator Ted Cruz’s office. “It doesn’t mean anything’s going to happen, but we’ll see,” the streamer stated.
Ted Cruz offers a conversation with Asmongold
And something did happen. On episode 130 of the Verdict with Ted Cruz podcast, co-host Michael Knowles asked the politician for his thoughts on regulating loot boxes.
The question read, “The Twitch streamer Asmongold said he reached out to Senator Cruz’s office about regulating loot boxes in video games. Where does the Senator stand on loot boxes?”
Cruz opened by extending an invitation to Asmongold stating he’s happy to discuss the issue with the streamer. He then turned to address the issue which he boiled down to “gambling and kids”.
He claimed video games and social media are designed to be addictive, even adding, “I’m something of a gamer. In games, I don’t like it when you can buy in-game items and sort of make your character stronger or get advantages.”
Cruz did confess that he sometimes makes in-game purchases because of the convenience. “I think it is a greater concern when you’re dealing with kids… who have the potential to spend a whole lot of money,” the Senator stated. “With some of the loot boxes, there’s a fair amount of randomness where you can get a lot of great stuff or some lousy stuff. I guess that’s the argument that it’s gambling.”
He went on to explain that he doesn’t want to see kids harmed by microtransactions, but isn’t sure the federal government has a role in preventing players from spending money in such a way.
Asmongold reacted to the episode during a stream on June 18, smiling from ear to ear for nearly the entire duration of the four-minute segment. “I didn’t believe this. I thought it was going to be some bulls**t,” Asmongold stated. “So he actually agrees with me 100%”.