'It is often children who come into contact with such systems and we cannot allow that,' Geens warned. When minors are involved, those punishments can be doubled, Geens added.īelgium expressed a particular concern about the impact loot boxes have on young people. If they're not, the publishers 'risk a prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of up to 800,000 euros'. Battlefront 2, at the time the investigation was conducted, did not have loot boxes, so escapes unscathed.Ī statement from Minister of Justice Koen Geens said FIFA 18, Overwatch and CS:GO were therefore illegal and demanded their loot boxes removed. It determined FIFA 18, Overwatch and CS:GO's loot boxes are a game of chance and so are subject to Belgian gambling law.
The Belgian Gaming Commission looked at Star Wars Battlefront 2, FIFA 18, Overwatch and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and found only Star Wars was not in violation of the country's gambling legislation - and that's only because EA stripped out the game's loot boxes after its launch debacle. Hot on the heels of the Netherlands declaring loot boxes are gambling and therefore illegal, Belgium has had its say.
