A state politician in Hawaii says the new 'Star Wars' game encourages kids to gamble and he wants to ban sales to anyone under 21 (EA)

Hawaii House of Representatives member Chris Lee accused EA of "predatory behavior."Lee said that EA's new "Star Wars" game actively encourages kids to engage in gambling.The controversial element in the game is a concept called "loot boxes," which offered randomized items in exchange for real money.The big new "Star Wars" game is facing continued scrutiny,but this time it's not from players ' it's from a Democratic politician in Hawaii.His name is Chris Lee,and heaccused the game's makers of "predatory behavior" in an address this week."This game is a Star Wars-themed online casino, designed to lure kids into spending money," he said. "It's a trap."Lee said that he's looking intolegislation in the coming yearthat could prohibit the sale of some games to people under 21 years of age. He also said he's been "talking with several other States as well" regarding similar legislation elsewhere.Specifically, Lee is addressing the "loot box" systemthat was previously inthe game "Star Wars Battlefront 2."After purchasing the game for at least $60, an in-game currency called "Crystals"could be purchased additionally which players could use to buyloot boxes. Within those loot boxes arerandomized in-game items of varying quality that could make your character stronger.The system was turned off before the game officially launched ' when somepeople were able toplay an earlyrelease of the game, theybristled at having to pay more money for certain features and took to Reddit to warn their fellow gamers. The game's maker, Electronic Arts, issued a response that became the most downvoted Reddit post of all time.In so many words, youcould pay real money to make your character stronger than other players ' a practice that is routinely criticized for its "pay to win" effect. It's this aspect of the game that Representative Lee takes issue with, which enables players to pay real money for a randomized chance of getting something they want.EA declined to comment on Lee's announcement.Here's the full video released by Chris Lee this week:SEE ALSO:The new 'Star Wars' game is embroiled in controversy, and fans are furious ' here's what's going onJoin the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: Hackers can gain access to your computer monitor ' a cybersecurity expert shows us how easy it is
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