The Belgian Gaming Commission has completed its investigation of loot boxes in Overwatch, Counter-strike: Global Offensive, FIFA 18 and Star Wars Battlefront 2. The committee determined that Overwatch, Counter-strike: Global Offensive and FIFA 18 are in violation of Belgian gambling laws and have determined that they are illegal. As a result, loot boxes must be removed from these games or "risk a prison sentence up to 5 years and a fine of 800k Euro".
The Belgian commission released a statement, with Director of Gaming Commission Peter Naessens wrote (using Google Translate):
Paying loot boxes are not an innocent part of video games that present themselves as games of skill. Players are tempted and misled, and none of the protective measures for gambling is applied. Now that it is clear that children and vulnerable people in particular are exposed to them unprotected, game manufacturers but also parties such as FIFA, for example, are called upon to call a halt to this practice.
Oddly enough, Star Wars Battlefront 2 was the only one of the games under investigation that was not found in violation of gambling laws as the loot boxes were removed shortly after launch.
Commission members will be meeting with company representatives for each of the named titles to determine what the next steps will be.
This decision comes shortly after a similar ruling but a Dutch commission regarding loot boxes as gambling.
Via Eurogamer
