INTRODUCTION

In September 2025, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed Law “Lei 15.211/2025”, which sets out rules for the protection of children and young people in the digital environment. The law imposes an 18+ age rating on games featuring loot boxes, and age verification must be carried out not simply by entering any date, but specifically through biometrics and other robust forms of proof. This applies to all games that feature such RNGs and loot boxes. Strange as it may seem, this also applies to Supercell games, as Clash of Clans features chests, and Brawl Stars has a claw machine with Buffies.

The law was signed last year, but it legally came into force on 17 March 2026. In this article, we will try to examine this law in more detail, look at exactly what is prohibited, what penalties companies will face for non-compliance with these rules, and also look at what changes will affect Supercell games and what will be changed in them!

WHY LOOT BOXES BECAME PROBLEM?

Loot boxes have long been a feature of gaming, but over time, despite initially seeming harmless, they have become one of the most controversial practices in the industry. The mechanics of loot boxes have always been simple: the player pays and receives a random reward. In most cases, this can be anything from cosmetic items to customize their profile (skins, emojis) to resources that can affect the player"s account. It is important to emphasise one word here - uncertainty; that is, the player does not know in advance what they will receive and, consequently, pays for the unknown, as they may either get lucky or receive nothing at all.

It is precisely because of this uncertainty that loot boxes have become synonymous with the word “gambling”, and this is no coincidence. Players start investing more money in the hope that “next time they"ll get lucky”, just as in a casino, where people place bets in anticipation of a positive outcome.

However, unlike gambling, which is usually subject to age restrictions, loot boxes generally have no age limit and are integrated into major, popular games. Most experts argue that this kind of spending among teenagers fosters a habit of such expenditure and blurs the line between financial decisions and gaming.

This is precisely why some countries have recently begun to regulate this matter strictly. Regulations vary from country to country - some impose strict restrictions, whilst others do not. Brazil is one such country. The conclusion here is clear: governments are starting to take this issue seriously and view loot boxes not simply as a game feature, but as something that requires regulation for young people.

A DETAILED OVERVIEW ON BRAZILIAN LAW «Lei 15.211/2025»

Picture 2. Law 15.211/2025, signed into law by Lula, prohibits loot boxes in games accessible to minors. Companies that fail to comply may face fines of up to R$50 million. (Credit: Click Petroleo e Gas)

1. Key provisions of the law

This Law of 17 September 2025 comprises 16 chapters and 41 articles and provides for the protection of children and young people in the digital environment. As our article focues on loot boxes, these are discussed in more detail in «CHAPTER VII - ELECTRONIC GAMES» (Br. «CAPÍTULO VII - DOS JOGOS ELETRÔNICOS»). The main provision banning loot boxes is written in article №20:

Art. 20. São vedadas as caixas de recompensa (loot boxes) oferecidas em jogos eletrônicos direcionados a crianças e a adolescentes ou de acesso provável por eles, nos termos da respectiva classificação indicativa.

Translation this article into English will be like this: “Loot boxes are prohibited in video games aimed at children and adolescents or likely to be accessed by them, in accordance with the relevant age rating“. In essence, this article makes it clear that games are prohibited from offering loot boxes if they are aimed at minors or accessible to them. It is important to note that the law covers not only children"s games, but also any popular titles that teenagers might play.

As far as age is concerned, the article does not explicitly state an 18+ rating; however, if the game already contains loot boxes, it becomes inaccessible to minors, which means the game automatically receives an 18+ age rating

2. What are “loot boxes“?

The law provides a precise definition of loot boxes. Loot boxes are not simply boxes from which resources or cosmetic items drop. Loot boxes refer to any system where a player pays with real or in-game currency and receives a random reward. These can include boxes, gacha systems, chests, card packs and much more.

3. Protection of minors

In addition to banning loot boxes, the law also imposes additional obligations on game developers. One of the key requirements is age verification. Whereas previously players could enter any date of birth without this affecting gameplay in any way, companies are now required to implement a robust age verification system (for example, using biometrics).

Next, we will look at linking children"s accounts. This is covered in article №21 of the Law:

Art. 21. Os jogos eletrônicos direcionados a crianças e a adolescentes ou de acesso provável por eles que incluam funcionalidades de interação entre usuários por meio de mensagens de texto, áudio ou vídeo ou troca de conteúdos, de forma síncrona ou assíncrona, deverão observar integralmente as salvaguardas previstas no art. 16 da Lei nº 14.852, de 3 de maio de 2024, especialmente no que se refere à moderação de conteúdos, à proteção contra contatos prejudiciais e à atuação parental sobre os mecanismos de comunicação.

In English, this will sound like this: “Electronic games aimed at children and adolescents, or likely to be accessed by them, which include features enabling interaction between users via text, audio or video messages or the exchange of content, whether synchronously or asynchronously, must fully comply with the safeguards set out in Article 16 of Law No. 14,852 of 3 May 2024, particularly with regard to content moderation, protection against harmful contacts and parental control over communication mechanisms”.
It is reported that accounts held by users under the age of 16 must be linked to their parents, and parental control and supervision are required.

Next, and perhaps just as important, is that services must take children"s safety into account right from the development stage. Further details on this can be found in «CHAPTER II - THE REGULATION ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES» (Br. «DOS PRODUTOS E SERVIÇOS DE TECNOLOGIA DA INFORMAÇÃO»), specifically in articles 7 and 8:

Art. 7º Os fornecedores de produtos ou serviços de tecnologia da informação direcionados a crianças e a adolescentes ou de acesso provável por eles deverão, desde a concepção de seus produtos e serviços, garantir, por padrão, a configuração no modelo mais protetivo disponível em relação à privacidade e à proteção de dados pessoais, considerados a autonomia e o desenvolvimento progressivo do indivíduo e justificado o melhor interesse da criança e do adolescente.
§ 1º O produto ou serviço referido no caput deste artigo deverá, por padrão, operar com o grau mais elevado de proteção da privacidade e dos dados pessoais, observado que será obrigatória a disponibilização de informações claras, acessíveis e adequadas para que a criança ou o adolescente e seus responsáveis possam exercer escolhas informadas quanto à eventual adoção de configurações menos protetivas.
§ 2º Os fornecedores de que trata o caput deste artigo deverão abster-se de realizar o tratamento dos dados pessoais de crianças e de adolescentes de forma que cause, facilite ou contribua para a violação de sua privacidade ou de quaisquer outros direitos a eles assegurados em lei, observados os princípios previstos no art. 6º da Lei nº 13.709, de 14 de agosto de 2018 (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais), e o melhor interesse da criança e do adolescente.

Art. 8º Os fornecedores de produtos ou serviços de tecnologia da informação direcionados a crianças e a adolescentes ou de acesso provável por eles deverão:
I - realizar gerenciamento de riscos de seus recursos, funcionalidades e sistemas e de seus impactos direcionados à segurança e à saúde de crianças e de adolescentes;
II - realizar avaliação do conteúdo disponibilizado para crianças e adolescentes de acordo com a faixa etária, para que seja compatível com a respectiva classificação indicativa;
III - oferecer sistemas e processos projetados para impedir que crianças e adolescentes encontrem, por meio do produto ou serviço, conteúdos ilegais e pornográficos, bem como outros conteúdos manifestamente inadequados à sua faixa etária, conforme as normas de classificação indicativa e a legislação aplicável;
IV - desenvolver desde a concepção e adotar por padrão configurações que evitem o uso compulsivo de produtos ou serviços por crianças e adolescentes; e
V - informar extensivamente a todos os usuários sobre a faixa etária indicada para o produto ou serviço no momento do acesso, conforme estabelecido pela política de classificação indicativa.

The essence of Article 7 is that all digital products (including games) that may be used by minors must be as safe as possible from the outset. In other words: the strictest privacy settings are enabled by default; the collection and use of data must not harm the child; and companies are obliged to explain the settings in simple and clear language.

Article 8 places the emphasis on actively ensuring safety. The main requirements are:

1. Analyse how the product (game or service) affects children
2. Everything must comply with the age rating
3. Block illegal, prohibited and pornographic content

Generally speaking, all games must be safe not only on paper, but in practice as well.

4. Fines & penalties

The next point worth discussing is the penalties imposed on companies for failing to comply with this law. This is the subject of «CHAPTER 15 - PENALTIES» (Br. «CAPÍTULO XV - DAS SANÇÕES»), which consists of the lengthy Article 35:

Art. 35. Sem prejuízo das demais sanções cíveis, criminais ou administrativas, em caso de descumprimento das obrigações previstas nesta Lei, assegurados o devido processo legal, a ampla defesa e o contraditório, os infratores estarão sujeitos às seguintes penalidades:

I - advertência, com prazo para adoção de medidas corretivas de até 30 (trinta) dias;

II - multa simples, de até 10% (dez por cento) do faturamento do grupo econômico no Brasil no seu último exercício ou, ausente o faturamento, multa de R$ 10,00 (dez reais) até R$ 1.000,00 (mil reais) por usuário cadastrado do provedor sancionado, limitada, no total, a R$ 50.000.000,00 (cinquenta milhões de reais) por infração;

III - suspensão temporária das atividades;

IV - proibição de exercício das atividades.

§ 1º Para fixação e gradação da sanção, deverão ser observadas, além da proporcionalidade e da razoabilidade, as seguintes circunstâncias:

I - a gravidade da infração, considerados os seus motivos e a extensão do dano nas esferas individual e coletiva;

II - a reincidência na prática de infrações previstas nesta Lei;

III - a capacidade econômica do infrator, no caso de aplicação da sanção de multa;

IV - a finalidade social do fornecedor e o impacto sobre a coletividade no que se refere ao fluxo de informações no território nacional.

§ 2º No caso de empresa estrangeira, responderão solidariamente pelo pagamento da multa de que trata o inciso II do caput deste artigo sua filial, sucursal, escritório ou estabelecimento situado no País.

§ 3º O processo de apuração das infrações ao disposto nesta Lei e de aplicação das sanções cabíveis reger-se-á pelas disposições relativas à apuração de infrações administrativas às normas de proteção da criança e do adolescente e à imposição das respectivas penalidades previstas na Lei nº 8.069, de 13 de julho de 1990 (Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente).

§ 4º Os valores das multas previstas no inciso II do caput deste artigo serão anualmente atualizados de acordo com o Índice Nacional de Preços ao Consumidor Amplo (IPCA), calculado pela Fundação Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), ou outro que vier a substituí-lo, e publicados na imprensa oficial pelo órgão competente do Poder Executivo, na forma de regulamento.

§ 5º As penalidades previstas nos incisos I e II do caput deste artigo serão aplicadas pela autoridade administrativa autônoma de proteção dos direitos de crianças e de adolescentes no ambiente digital, e as previstas nos incisos III e IV do caput deste artigo serão aplicadas pelo Poder Judiciário.

§ 6º A suspensão temporária e a proibição de exercício das atividades previstas nos incisos III e IV do caput deste artigo, quando não implementadas diretamente pelo infrator, serão realizadas mediante ordem de bloqueio dirigida às prestadoras de serviços de telecomunicações que proveem conexão à internet, às entidades gestoras de pontos de troca de tráfego de internet, aos prestadores de serviços de resolução de nomes de domínio e aos demais agentes que viabilizam a conexão entre usuários e servidores de conteúdo na internet. (Regulamento)

This is a very important article for companies. Let"s now examine it in more detail. There are four types of sanctions in total: Warning - rectification of breaches within 30 days; Fines - up to 10% of annual revenue in Brazil or up to 50 million reais ($9.4 million) per breach; Temporary suspension of operations - the game or service may be temporarily shut down; Total ban - the company loses access to the Brazilian market.

However, the severity and scale of the sanctions depend on the seriousness of the violation, whether it is a repeat offence, the extent of harm to users, and the company"s financial capacity (if the company is large, it will receive the maximum fine).

If the company is foreign, this also applies to it. In the event of violations, the company"s representative office in Brazil is liable for these fines. The sanctions themselves are imposed through administrative bodies (fines and warnings) and through the courts (bans and blocks).

WHY BRAZIL IS IMPORTANT FOR GAMING INDUSTRY?

At first glance, it might seem that this whole situation will only affect Brazil. However, the new law impacts not only the domestic market but also the global strategies of gaming companies.

At the very least, the scale of the impact is significant, as Brazil is one of the largest video game markets in the world, particularly in the mobile gaming sector. According to data from the agency ZipDo, revenue from Brazil"s gaming market has reached $5.4 billion, accounting for 1.2% of the country"s total GDP! According to other estimates, this figure stands at $3.1 billion, which still makes Brazil a multi-billion-dollar market, helping it to rank 10th in the world in terms of gaming economy size in 2023. Let"s take a look at a small table showing the revenue figures for Brazil"s gaming market over the last couple of years:

Year	Estimated revenue of the Brazilian gaming market	Sources
2023	~$5.4 billion, 1.2% of GDP	ZIPDO EDUCATION REPORT 2026
2023 (alternative mark)	~3.1 billion (different ways of counting)	ZIPDO Education Report 2026
2024	~2.82 billion	Grand View Horizon Brazil Gaming Market Size & Outlook
2025	growth forecast after 2024 with a CAGR of around 8-9%	Grand View Horizon Brazil Gaming Market Size & Outlook

Below, you can also see a chart of the Brazilian gaming market from 2018 to 2030 (forecast) by Grand View Horizon:

**Picture 3. Brazil gaming market, 2018-2030 (Credit: Grand View Horizon)**

It is worth noting that in 2023-2024, the gaming audience in Brazil stood at around 90-110 million people, out of a total population of 212 million at that time.

The issue of monetisation is becoming particularly sensitive. Loot boxes and other forms of paid randomisation have long been one of the key sources of revenue. Now, however, developers are having to look for alternatives: more transparent reward systems, battle passes, and direct purchases. This means not just technical changes, but a complete overhaul of the game"s economy.

As a result, the Brazilian law is becoming less of a local restriction and more a part of a global trend. It is increasing pressure on the industry and accelerating the transition to new models - in which random paid mechanics are gradually taking a back seat.

IMPACT OF THE BRAZILIAN LAW ON SUPERCELL GAMES

We"re now going to talk about a specific company - Supercell, whose games, according to various sources, are played by 10-15 million players in Brazil. Supercell published an official announcement for Brazilian players on its blog on 16 March:

**Picture 4. Official Supercell"s announcement for Brazilian players**

Although Supercell removed certain elements similar to loot boxes last year, there are still changes in their games that will only affect players in Brazil.

BRAWL STARS

At the moment, Brawl Stars is the only game where we know exactly what changes are coming:

1. It will be clear which buffie will drop from the claw machine;
2. Rewards at the end of the battle pass will be strictly defined;
3. The shop will not sell character crates, only tickets;
4. Random rewards in future events will be replaced by guaranteed ones

**Picture 5. Brazil changes in Brawl Stars (Credit: Chosen)**

CLASH ROYALE

At the moment, it is not yet clear exactly what changes will be made to Clash Royale, but one thing is certain: there are chests galore. The following are likely to be banned:

1. Standard chests (Silver, Gold, Magical, Giant, Epic, Legendary, Mega Lightning)

These involve an element of chance: the player does not know in advance which cards or resources will be revealed. Paid openings are prohibited for players under 18. Free openings are likely to be permitted, but the law requires maximum transparency and protection of teenagers" data.

2. Lucky Chests (Standard, Magic, Seasonal)

The “tap-tap-tap" system amplifies the element of chance
These chests also fall under the law: random rewards + interactive mechanics are similar to gambling.
For players under 18, access will be restricted or deterministic

3. Event/Special Chests

If they contain paid randomisation or affect a player"s progress, they fall under the law"s restrictions.

**Picture 6. Brazil changes in Clash Royale (approximate information)**

CLASH OF CLANS

In Clash of Clans, there is one type of loot box, known as “Treasure Chests”. There are four types of chests in the game: Common, Rare, Epic and Legendary. These chests can yield both resources and cosmetic items. All four of these chests will also be significantly changed for players in Brazil.

There is very little of this sort in games such as Hay Day, Boom Beach and mo.co; it is difficult to say anything definitive about these games at the moment; one can only assume that in Hay Day, the daily chests that appear on the farm and can be purchased with diamonds will be changed.

The law came into force in March 2026, but its effects are only just beginning to be felt. Game companies, including Supercell, are in the process of adapting - changes are being implemented gradually and may take months. In the case of Brawl Stars, according to the game"s super creator Chosen, changes for Brazilians will appear in the next update.

AFFECT ON REVENUE

Loot boxes have almost always been a key source of revenue for mobile games. This is influenced by four factors:

Randomness → the player does not know what they will receive and continues to spend money in an attempt to obtain a rare item;
The psychological "near-miss" effect → a mechanism similar to gambling encourages repeat purchases
Low entry barrier → small payments ($1-$5) seem insignificant but add up quickly;
“Whales” → a small proportion of players generate the majority of revenue, spending hundreds and thousands of dollars

**Picture 8. Why loot boxes are popular?**

The restrictions in Brazil will have a direct impact on a number of factors:

Firstly: a decline in payments from teenagers, who make up the majority of the gaming audience.
Secondly: a drop in impulse purchases, where the thrill is completely lost.
Thirdly: a decrease in ARPU (Average Revenue Per User). For many games, this will mean that revenue will fall in the local region, as well as the urgent need to restructure the game"s economy.

In Supercell"s case, the situation is moderate. This is because the main revenue does not come from loot boxes. Each of the company"s games has its own version of a paid pass, a huge range of cosmetics (paid/free) and much more. On top of that, Brazil is not the company"s main source of revenue. Yes, it is a large market, but apart from Brazil there are markets such as the USА, Japan, South Korea and others.

Ultimately, the ban on loot boxes in Brazil will inevitably lead to a decline in revenue - primarily due to a reduction in impulse purchases and the teenage audience.

However, for Supercell, the impact will be moderate: the company has already begun transitioning to alternative monetisation models and is less reliant on random mechanics than many of its competitors.

CONCLUSION

The story of loot box regulation in Brazil is not merely a local initiative, but indicative of broader changes within the industry. The country is effectively becoming one of the first major markets where the state is directly intervening in the design of game mechanics, prioritising the protection of minors.

This move reflects a global trend: more and more countries are beginning to view loot boxes not as a harmless element of game design, but as a system akin to gambling. As a result, the industry is gradually moving towards more transparent monetisation models - with fixed rewards, battle passes and direct purchases.

For Supercell, what is happening is not a crisis, but rather a turning point. The company has already partially adapted to the new conditions, abandoning the most controversial mechanics in a number of its projects. Nevertheless, the Brazilian law is forcing it to accelerate this process and fundamentally rethink its approach to monetisation in certain markets.

Ultimately, the situation in Brazil shows that the industry is not collapsing under regulatory pressure, but is changing. And those companies that can adapt more quickly to the new rules will gain an advantage in the future - where transparency and player trust are becoming no less important than profit.

If you"re interested in this topic and would like to learn more, you"ll find sources and further reading below to explore it in greater depth! We also used them for writing this article!