Belgium takes important new step against loot in video games

FIFA 18 is one of the video games that has caused the most controversy regarding loot boxes. Now, the situation takes a further step forward in the players' favor, with Belgium deciding that loot in video games is illegal gambling.

Follow the controversy for loot in games

The Belgian Gaming Commission has determined that random loot in at least three games count as gambling, this causes publishers to be subject to fines and prison terms, under the country's gambling and betting legislation. Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens claimed that loot in games like Overwatch, FIFA 18 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive met the criteria for the definition of gambling, as there is an element of the game where a bet can generate profits or losses, and chance has a determining role.

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The fact that these games do not reveal the odds of receiving specific in-game items is also concerning, the Commission said. All three mentioned games must remove their loot boxes, or they will be in violation of the gaming law in the country. The law carries penalties of up to 800, 000 euros and five years in prison, which can be doubled if it involves minors.

The aforementioned commission has also re-analyzed Star Wars: Battlefront II, determining that the changes recently made by Electronic Arts assume that it is technically no longer a game of chance. Belgium's decision follows a similar finding in the Netherlands that identified and sanctioned loot in FIFA 18, Dota 2, BattleUnknown's Battlegrounds and Rocket League as being illegal gaming activities.

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