The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) on the 17th published the "2025 global game policy and legal system study" report analyzing the global regulatory environment for the game industry, centered on the United States.
The report aims to reduce overseas expansion risks for domestic game corporations and strengthen policy responsiveness by reflecting changes in the U.S. legal system, a key export destination. The study has been carried out annually since 2022 and has analyzed game policies and systems in a total of 23 countries to date. In 2025, the United States was selected as the sole subject for analysis, and an in-depth review was conducted focusing on federal law and major state laws, including California, Washington, and New York.
The United States has no dedicated federal ministry overseeing the game industry, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) performs some supervisory functions from a consumer protection perspective. Because a significant portion of regulation is conducted at the State Governments level, domestic corporations must check the differing legal standards in each state.
For example, Washington state interprets the concept of gambling strictly, and some game companies limit services through regional blocking. While ratings are not a legal obligation, certifications from the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) function as de facto essential standards on major distribution platforms.
The United States has no explicit law on probability-based items, but the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can impose sanctions if it determines the practice to be deceptive. In Jan. 2025, there was also a case in which a fine of about $20 million was imposed for reasons including inadequate protections for minors. In addition, Apple and Google require prior disclosure of probabilities for apps that include probability-based items, so self-regulation that aligns with international standards is necessary.
The United States does not impose an outright ban on P2E (Play to Earn) games, but features that allow conversion into real currency may be deemed securities or gambling, requiring caution by corporations.
There are still no direct legal regulations on content generation using artificial intelligence (AI), but legislative discussions related to the use of generated outputs are actively continuing, centered on California. As there is a high likelihood that self-regulation will transition into legislation in the future, related corporations need to continuously monitor these changes.
Under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), parental consent is mandatory to collect personal information from children under 13. New York's "SAFE for Kids Act" strengthens protections, including banning the sending of addictive feed notifications during late-night hours (midnight to 6 a.m.).
In California, under the "AB2426" statute implemented starting in Jan. 2025, when advertising digital asset products, if using expressions such as "BUY" or "PURCHASE," the notice "This product provides a limited license to use, not ownership" must be clearly stated. Failure to provide this notice may be considered a violation.
Meanwhile, the 2025 global game policy and legal system study report can be found on the KOCCA website.