According to Neowin, political parties in the Netherlands have largely supported a new attempt to block the sale of video game loot boxes in the country.
All six parties say they will support the ban, which will bring Dutch law largely in line with Belgium, where loot boxes were banned in 2018.
Video game loot boxes and virtual currency have been the subject of controversy for a few years. Because they are associated with gambling and “virtual casinos”, many countries around the world have passed laws to protect players from them.
One of the games most impacted by these efforts in the Netherlands is EA Sports’ FIFA series. In October 2020, a court in The Hague ruled that FIFA forfeits breached Dutch gambling law and fined EA €500,000 (approximately $521,186) for each week it did not. had not withdrawn FIFA withdrawals that year. EA contested the claim and allowed the fine to reach the cap of 10 million euros ($10,423,720).
Two years later, EA’s conviction was overturned by the Dutch Division of Administrative Jurisdiction, the highest court in the country. Now these Dutch political parties are trying to finish what they started by banning these loot boxes in games like FUT forever.
Belgium banned EA Sports from selling FIFA Points from 2019, and the Dutch government will soon enact a similar law. It’s unclear when the potential ban on virtual currencies and loot boxes will go into effect, or which other games are specifically targeted. However, this ban on a new form of “gambling” could come into force soon if the Dutch legislator follows in Belgium’s footsteps.
FIFA 22 was one of the two central games in the Norwegian loot box study, cited by 18 countries as the reason for more loot box regulation.
Source : dbl tap
