Belgian Gambling Commission Investigates
There has been much controversy as of late, regarding Electronic Art Inc’s (EA) latest release, Star Wars Battlefront II, and whether or not it constitutes as a form of gambling. The speculation surrounding the game, brought about by the Belgian Gaming Commission, stems from its Loot Crates, which are said to be influential on a player’s ability to prosper. As a result, the gambling authority has launched a full investigation into the game, along with Blizzard’s Overwatch, to come to a final conclusion.
“If there is a game of chance, it is not possible [to sell the game] without a permit from the gaming commission,” commented Peter Naessens, Director of the Commission. In the event the investigation proves the games are, indeed, a form of gambling, EA may be forced to pay fines amounting to thousands in Euros, or have the titles banned from sale in Belgium!
The emphasis appears to be less on Overwatch and more so on Battlefront, as the loot boxes are purely cosmetic, except for in the latter, for which they are believed to serve a pay-to-win purpose.
A Rebuttal from EA
In response to the allegations, the game developer released the following statement: “Creating a fair and fun game experience is of critical importance to EA. The crate mechanics of Star Wars Battlefront II are not gambling. A player’s ability to succeed in the game is not dependent on purchasing crates. Players can also earn crates through playing the game and not spending any money at all. Once obtained, players are always guaranteed to receive content that can be used in game.”
Some were displeased with the above comment, arguing that the explanation contributes little to the matter at hand, which concerns whether the crates represent a form of gambling. A player’s ability to progress successfully through the game without crates does not explain or disprove a potential connection to gambling.
The Connection Explained
Let’s back up a little bit. For those of you who may be playing catchup on this gaming investigation, you may be wondering what crates in a video game have to do with gambling. Those in favor of the gambling concept argue that the loot box systems (primarily in Battlefront) affect players’ brains in the same way a slot machine does. The ambiguity of the outcome at hand when opening a loot box is said to be like that of opening one of these boxes. The feeling is exciting, and potentially addicting, much like gambling. Some argue that the only solution is to make the loot boxes purely cosmetic, as they are used in Overwatch.
The Verdict
The verdict is in, or so we thought... It was reported on November 21st that the investigation led to a ruling that the Star Wars title is, indeed, a form of gambling, with Belgium’s Minister of Justice, Koen Geens, commenting, “Mixing gambling and gaming, especially at a young age, is dangerous for the mental health of a child.” He also announced a plan to ban in-game purchases for those who are not clear on what they are purchasing.
However, a mere hours later, a Belgian news site (RTBF), announced the Belgium Gaming Commission has not actually come to a final conclusion. The above statement was clarified as referring the intent of the investigation, rather than its decision.
Needless to say, the wait continues…
Sources:
“Belgium's loot box investigation continues (Updated)”, Chalk Andy, pcgamer.com, November 22, 2017.
“Belgium says loot boxes are gambling, wants them banned in Europe”, Chalk Andy, November 21, 2017.
“Why EA Is Wrong To Say That 'Star Wars Battlefront II' Loot Crates Aren't Gambling”, Kain Erik, forbes.com, November 16, 2017.
“The Belgian Gaming Commission is investigating Star Wars: Battlefront II's Loot Crates as to whether they qualify as gambling”, Miller Daniel R., gamezone.com, November 15, 2017.
coolsongss
6 years ago
Hero Member
Huh, I think that I can understand the argument of gambling in the some games. I only played Game of War on mobile for about one year a few years ago. There were some crate opening game (kind of a game in game), I really felt that this crate feature was was very similar with gambling. Probably, this kind of gambling...
Huh, I think that I can understand the argument of gambling in the some games. I only played Game of War on mobile for about one year a few years ago. There were some crate opening game (kind of a game in game), I really felt that this crate feature was was very similar with gambling. Probably, this kind of gambling features will affect players to buy and play more, as I think.
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drtheolen
6 years ago
Moderator
My opinion is that this does not constitute gambling, mainly because there is no material prize involved. Items and powers obtained are "soulbound" meaning they generally cannot be given to someone else and thus cannot be sold for real money among the player base. I certainly don't think it steers kids towards gambling...
My opinion is that this does not constitute gambling, mainly because there is no material prize involved. Items and powers obtained are "soulbound" meaning they generally cannot be given to someone else and thus cannot be sold for real money among the player base. I certainly don't think it steers kids towards gambling addiction as @lipstick mentioned too. I however do absolutely and totally think it constitutes a highway robbery of players (mainly children), and sole reason I'm no longer a gamer. There should be a price for the game and eventually monthly subscription for MMOs that deserve it with their quality (like World of Warcraft and similar games probably do). Everything else should be made illegal, particularly pay to win models that have infested every single MMO game out there that I like, rendering them highly unamusing to me as a result (World of Warcraft is the most unfortunate case of turning into "mild" pay to win game) I have to also wonder why do they focus solely on EA and Blizzard (Battlefront and Overwatch) when there are so many other games with similar or possibly worse features. They should start with all the Flash/Browser type MMOs in my opinion.
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marina_m575
6 years ago
Moderator
It's all the business for them since they only want to make money. In my opinion, kids can get addicted to any kind of game if they spend too much of their time playing it. In my opinion, it's gaming, not gambling.
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MelissaN
6 years ago
Almighty Member
I don't think that this kind of games can make kids gamble. What about games that involve fighting and killing people? Maybe they should discuss the negative effect of them first.
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Luckynn
6 years ago
Admin
This is a food for thought. In my opinion, they did not intend to involve kids in gambling, but they should be much more careful when it comes to these things.
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blueday
6 years ago
Almighty Member
Sounds like a form of gambling for sure but you can earn them without spending cash in which case, does that count as gambling?
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Lipstick
6 years ago
Admin
I do not believe games like this are gonna steer kids in a world of gambling addicts!
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NatSteph
6 years ago
Hero Member
Agreed, I don't think this is the first case in which we've seen something like this in a game for all ages, so hopefully the investigation sets the right tone for developers in the future.
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Markotik
6 years ago
Admin
There should be a clear distinction between gambling and gaming, and I don't think that's very clear here. Considering that a lot of minors would play this game, I think it is better to be safe than sorry.
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JohnnyK
6 years ago
Forum admin
There are loads of games these days that implement pay-to-win tactics, this case might pave the way for a larger debate about this issue.
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zuga
6 years ago
Admin
it certainly looks like gambling and we all know who mostly play these games. EA should rethink how to implement these loot boxes.
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lukyme13
6 years ago
Sr. Newbie
I think it is considered a form of gambling.... it's a prize right?
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