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FIFA, Overwatch, Counter-Strike: GO could face fines and prison penalties.
The Belgian Gaming Commission has determined that randomized loot boxes in at least three games count as "games of chance," and publishers could therefore be subject to fines and prison sentences under the country's gaming legislation.
A statement by Belgian Minister of Justice Koen Geens (machine translation) identifies loot boxes in Overwatch, FIFA 18, and Counter Strike: Global Offensive as meeting the criteria for that "game of chance" definition: i.e., "there is a game element [where] a bet can lead to profit or loss and chance has a role in the game." The Commission also looked at Star Wars: Battlefront II and determined that the recent changes EA made to the game means it "no longer technically forms a game of chance."
Beyond that simple definition, the Gaming Commission expressed concern over games that draw in players with an "emotional profit forecast" of randomized goods, where players "buy an advantage with real money without knowing what benefit it would be." The fact that these games don't disclose the odds of receiving specific in-game items is also worrisome, the Commission said.
[...] Belgium's decision follows on a similar finding in the Netherlands, which specifically called out loot boxes in FIFA 18, DotA 2, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, and Rocket League for illegal gambling activities. In the United States, legislators in Hawaii, Washington state, and the US Senate continue to look into loot box regulations, even as industry bodies like the Entertainment Software Rating Board downplay the need for such actions.
[ TMB Note: We deeply apologize for using that word outside of a serious screenplay. ]
(Score: 1, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 01 2018, @07:48PM (12 children)
"Before picking up this crate, you agree you do not live in Denmark".
Problem solved.
In fact, I'm updating all my legal agreements for all my products with the statement "You agree to and accept full responsibility for following the laws of the planet, nation, state, county, city, town, and any other subdivision a bunch of politicians can think up and agree to hold us harmless."
That will allow me to invent new and wonderful things (like loot crates) and when politicians get a stick up their ass and ban it--or pass stupid draconian laws like the GDPR, I can just ignore them.
Can you imagine how much more interested in politics people would be if *they* got sued for the bullshit their government makes up instead of nameless, faceless companies? There's be politicians hanging by nooses in the town squares by patch tuesday.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday May 01 2018, @07:59PM (1 child)
So if you're on a planet with higher latency ping times, you don't have to follow the law?
When trying to solve a problem don't ask who suffers from the problem, ask who profits from the problem.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 01 2018, @08:03PM
That legaleze said nothing about getting away with stuff based on ping times.
That legaleze said nothing about getting away with stuff because you were on a different planet.
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Tuesday May 01 2018, @10:01PM (3 children)
The reason gambling laws exist is to protect the participants/victims. They punish businesses for exploiting their customers. What is even the point of moving the punishment to the participants/victims, how is that supposed to protect the participants?
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 01 2018, @10:41PM (2 children)
I have a better idea. If you don't like the loot boxes. then don't spend money on them. If you're a loser who gambles away all of his/her money, then that's a person problem and you should seek help. Stop trying to "protect" people from themselves.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 02 2018, @08:55AM (1 child)
I have an even better idea. If you don't want to abide by a country's laws, just don't travel or do business there.
You might be missing out on a whole lot of moolah, but that's nothing compared to standing by your principles. Good on you for that.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @01:53AM
I often say that companies shouldn't try to appease censorship-happy countries like China, so I agree. However, at the same time, criticizing unjust laws is perfectly legitimate, even if it's unlikely that they will change.
And apparently opposing anti-gambling laws like this is trolling. Not sorry, but I really would prefer that the government didn't get involved here. At most, there should be protections against things like blatant fraud (i.e. they claim it's possible to win something but it isn't). But laws criminalizing gambling? That is just insane.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday May 01 2018, @10:03PM (5 children)
Ok, get some heroin and make the junkies sign a paper with the above before dealing them their fix.
We'll see then if those papers will keep you out of jail.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 01 2018, @10:44PM (4 children)
I think all drugs should be 100% legal. So should gambling and prostitution. Existing unjust laws do not justify more unjust laws.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday May 01 2018, @11:07PM (3 children)
Poisons too? How about explosives?
Highly radioactive elements then?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 01 2018, @11:10PM (2 children)
Sure. But if you use those things to harm others, then that's another story. This is too far off from gambling, though.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday May 01 2018, @11:27PM (1 child)
Let's hear that story.
So, you actually have a 'distance function' that you use to measure and there is a line which, when crossed, a signifies ' no longer too far'.
Care to be more specific about them?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday May 02 2018, @03:14AM
Why would he need to? Harm others is a very explicit notion on its own.