A federal lawmaker wants to introduce legislation that would ban "pay to win" practices and "loot boxes" from all video games.

In a statement released Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican representing Missouri, said video games offering these systems are preying on user addiction, particularly among children.

"When a game is designed for kids, game developers shouldn’t be allowed to monetize addiction," said Hawley in a statement. "And when kids play games designed for adults, they should be walled off from compulsive microtransactions."

Hawley cited the mobile game "Candy Crush Saga," a free-to-play puzzle game where users can make small purchases called microtransactions to earn additional in-game items. The model is commonly used among most of the top mobile games available.

The senator also called out the use of "loot boxes," a collection of random rewards players earn in free and paid games. Hawley said the boxes combine "the addictive properties of pay-to-win with the compulsive behavior inherent in other forms of gambling."

In a statement obtained by USA TODAY, the Entertainment Software Association said several countries including Ireland, Australia and the United Kingdom have all determined "loot boxes" don't qualify as gambling.

"We look forward to sharing with the senator the tools and information the industry already provides that keeps the control of in-game spending in parents’ hands," said Stanley Pierre-Louis, acting president and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association, in a statement. "Parents already have the ability to limit or prohibit in-game purchases with easy to use parental controls."

Last year, the Belgium Gaming Commission declared loot boxes illegal under the nation's gambling laws, reported the BBC, requiring game developers to remove any boxes players could acquire using real money.

Although the practice of microtransactions is common among free-to-play mobile games, the system has crept into paid console games, which has sometimes led to backlash.

Two years ago, publisher Electronic Arts introduced several changes to "Star Wars Battlefront II" after users complained over how players are incentivized to earn in-game content. Many players were concerned it would encourage a "pay to play" dynamic where players who spent money held a greater advantage.

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.