No more in-game loot boxes in Belgium
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The game developers have removed the in-game loot boxes from the gaming products in Belgium, which marks a victory for the strong stance taken by the Belgian Gaming Commission’s (BGC) loot boxes.
The developers of both CS:GO and Overwatch have removed in-game paid loot boxes from the versions of their games available to Belgian players.
The BGC ruled against the loot boxes, quoting Belgium’s prevailing gambling laws a couple of months ago. The main point of opposition by the GC that the controversial loot boxes found to target children with gambling-related services. There was sort of an international uproar against this feature, with some other national regulators to voicing their concerns.
The three titles mentioned in the BGC’s report included Blizzard’s Overwatch, Valve’s Counter Strike Global, and the FIFA series of football games. The Commission clearly stated earlier this year that developers would need to disable or remove these features from their offerings, or face punishments ranging from hefty fines to jail time.
Additionally, NBA series developer 2K has also removed the feature from its popular MyTeam platform in order to comply with the regulator’s wishes. 2K has also reportedly turned off its in-game currency features altogether to protect its players from the risks of gambling-related harm. EA, on the other hand, has not yet removed loot boxes from the Belgian version of FIFA, insisting that the title’s card packs in no way resemble gambling.
The removal of the features has come as part of Belgian officials’ plans to prevent gaming operators from targeting children and youths with gambling-related products. However, the Netherlands shares a similar sentiment, having recently ordered CS:GO and Overwatch to remove their paid loot boxes in Dutch game versions, as they are offering games of chance without an appropriate license.
Both regulators have voiced their eagerness to push for stricter EU regulations on the matter. As gambling addiction rates soar in Europe and many other parts of the world thanks to increasingly easier access to related services, tighter laws on contentious items may help to protect younger generations from being exposed to gambling and its potential negative effects at an unnecessarily early age.
Source: gamingpost.ca
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