FIFA Loot Box Considered Gambling, Netherlands Fines EA IDR 8.6 Billion Per Week

GAMEFINITY.ID, Jakarta – The Dutch Gaming Authority was allowed to fine Electronic Arts €500,000 per week for selling loot box content packages in FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT). The game content pack is considered to be in violation of the gambling rules. The decision was approved by a The Hague court on Thursday (10/29/2021) following a lengthy legal dispute between the Gaming Authority and EA.

According to NU.nl, publisher FIFA believes the content of its FUT package only has value within the game itself, as it cannot be converted into money. Thus it is considered not gambling. However, the judge dismissed EA’s objections and ordered that if the company wants to avoid the weekly fine, then EA needs to deactivate its loot box within three weeks.

As quoted by GAMEFINITY.ID from Eurogamer, Benelux EA’s Country Manager, Dirk Scholing said the company would appeal the decision.

“Gamers around the world have been enjoying FIFA and FIFA Ultimate Team modes for years. We are therefore disappointed with this decision and are thinking about the impact it will have on our gaming community in the Netherlands. We do not believe that our products and services violate gambling laws in any way. We are appealing this decision and we are trying to avoid a situation that affects the experience and comfort of FIFA Ultimate Team users in the Netherlands.”

“Electronic Arts is deeply committed to positive play. We strive to provide choice, fairness, value and fun for all our players in all of our games. We remain open to discussions with the Dutch Gambling Authority and other stakeholders to understand and find solutions to address any issues.”

Ultimate Team’s loot box mechanics have faced criticism in recent years for being perceived as gambling. Buyers do not know what they will get from purchasing content and often the content of purchases does not meet the expectations of gamers. Quoted from the BBC, a student in the UK, Jonathan Peniket claimed to have spent his tuition only to buy Ultimate Team loot boxes.

Several European countries have classified loot boxes as gambling, with all three gaming console platforms being asked to introduce policies requiring games to reveal the odds of loot boxes. The British House of Lords advised the British government to enact laws regarding the sale of loot boxes and prohibit them from being sold to children.

While in the United States, there is no legal consensus in the US about whether the loot box feature constitutes gambling. However, the game rating agency ESRB has started to flag games that feature random in-game purchases such as loot boxes or gacha mechanics.