Electronic Arts hoist white flag in war over Belgian loot boxes

Belgium’s gambling regulator has triumphed in its war against Electronic Arts’ in-game loot boxes.

On Wednesday, the Belgian Gaming Commission (BGC) issued a statement saying videogame publisher Electronic Arts (EA) had agreed to “remove the paying loot boxes in the game FIFA.” The BGC went on to say that EA had committed to complying with Belgian gaming laws from this point forward.

Loot boxes contain virtual goods that can allow players to progress more quickly in their respective games. The boxes are offered to players at various stages of game-play, although the contents of the boxes remain a mystery until after the player has submitted payment.

In April 2018, the BGC declared that the random contents of paid loot boxes met the definition of ‘games of chance’ under Belgium’s Gaming & Betting Act. Last September, the BGC launched a probe into EA’s offering of loot boxes in FIFA 18 and submitted the file to the crown prosecutor’s office in Brussels.