Now that in-game ads are a widely accepted form of advertising I bet you were looking forward seeing your games filled with commercials for Bacardi Breezer and other alcopop brands. Well, sorry to disappoint, but the state of Illinois has recently passed a legislation preventing the advertising of alcopop brands to minors in videogames.

The new law reads: “No entity may advertise, promote, or market any alcopop beverages toward children. Advertise, promote, or market includes, but is not limited to the following… (4) the display of any alcopop beverage in any videogame, theater production, or other live performances where the intended audience is primarily children.”

Without sounding cynical… how many alcohol brands are out there that are trying to market themselves to children anyway? Not only can they NOT BUY alcohol in the first place, but to advertise to them would be seriously bad PR for the firms involved regardless. Surely the State of Illinois has some bigger political fish to fry right now without worrying about this kind of non-issue.