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posted by Fnord666 on Thursday November 23 2017, @04:53PM   Printer-friendly
from the microtransaction-fail dept.

Video game gambling schemes known as "loot boxes" or "loot crates" could be banned or restricted by regulators:

We learned last week that Belgium's gambling authority was investigating loot crates in Star Wars Battlefront II over concerns that they constitute gambling. Now, the decision is in, and the answer is a resounding yes, according to Dutch-language publication VTM Nieuws. The commission claims that purchasable add-on boxes, the contents of which are randomized, mix "money and addiction" and thus are a form of gambling.

Belgian Minister of Justice Koen Geens added: "Mixing gambling and gaming, especially at a young age, is dangerous for the mental health of the child." The commission will now reportedly work through the European Union's process to execute a total ban. We've reached out to Belgium's Gaming Commission for more details on its next steps and the legal implications of the ruling.

The country isn't alone in its stance on loot boxes. Just hours ago, Rep. Chris Lee (D) from Hawaii denounced EA's "predatory behavior" in a speech uploaded to YouTube (first spotted by Kotaku). In the clip, Lee also talks of the detrimental affect micro-transactions have on children, with specific reference to Battlefront II, which he describes as a a "Star Wars-themed online casino, designed to lure kids into spending money".

What Are Loot Boxes? Gaming's Big New Problem, Explained

Press 'F' to pay respects.

Related: Why Call of Duty WW2 Bosses Won't 'Shy Away' from History
Star Wars Game in U-Turn After Player Anger


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  • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Thursday November 23 2017, @09:17PM (3 children)

    by fustakrakich (6150) on Thursday November 23 2017, @09:17PM (#600832) Journal

    So, we're supposed to stick with the the old doofus instead? That makes no sense. Why not take the chance? See, that's just proof that the prison door is wide open, yet you choose to stay in the cell. At least you got your 'three hots and a cot', right? Use the nomination process to weed them out. See who finances the campaign and you know who he is going to serve. It's up to us to remind them this is a community service, not a career opportunity. If we don't, we have nobody else to blame. This applies in Europe also. They have representative governments too.

    --
    La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 23 2017, @09:29PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 23 2017, @09:29PM (#600838)

    Usually both candidates have a track record of being evil, and people just keep foolishly voting for the 'lesser evil'. The solution is either a third party, or more likely, having a good candidate win a primary over one of the evil candidates and then actually voting for them.

    They have representative governments too.

    Our system is so stacked against third parties that it's hard to call it representative at all. Any two party system is inherently undemocratic. We have few viable options at this point, and I listed one of them. Primary enough evil candidates and we might be able to fix the situation with third parties.

    • (Score: 2) by Pino P on Thursday November 23 2017, @10:42PM (1 child)

      by Pino P (4721) on Thursday November 23 2017, @10:42PM (#600858) Journal

      Primary enough evil candidates and we might be able to fix the situation with third parties.

      What should Bernie Sanders fans have done to primary Hillary Clinton? What should JEB and John Kasich fans have done to primary Donald Trump?

      • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @11:40AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @11:40AM (#601018)

        place facebook ads?