15 european+ 1 american gambling regulation agencies sign a common declaration regarding video games

[Thomasorus]

Full statement here : http://www.arjel.fr/IMG/pdf/20180917CPEN.pdf

Captures (sorry, scanned PDF) :

Countries :

• Latvia
• Czeh Republic
• Isle of man
• France
• Malta
• Jersey
• Gibraltar
• Ireland
• Portugal
• Norway
• Netherlands
• UK
• Poland
• Austria
• And Washington State

Source : Arjel (french agency)

 

[Kalasai]

The beginning of the end for the lootbox? I hope.

 

[Mondy]

Hey EA, this is what opening Pandora's Box looks like.

 

[texhnolyze]

 

[NyxKiria]

Good to see Norway on that list

 

[Rafako]

Still not my country :(
PD: I keep forgetting Isle of Man exist xD

 

[funky]

Other pubs have to be pissed at EA for peeing in the drinking water huh?

 

[Iucidium]

Hey EA, this is what opening Pandora's Box looks like.

Click to shrink...

Did it have pretty colours and play a fanfare??

 

[Deleted member 8408]

I'll miss lootboxes when they are gone, they were the only things giving me excitement in the shallow games that they were wrapped in.

(Lootbox defender, 2016-2018)

 

[swift-darius]

here we goooo

I wonder if 2K will dispute their interpretation of each country's laws too

 

[Alej]

Go France go.

Ban this shit. Ban MTX linked to Random loot boxes.

 

[Deleted member 9971]

Awesome

 

[Mondy]

Did it have pretty colours and play a fanfare??

Click to shrink...

It was like headshotting a Grunt in Halo 3 with the Birthday Party skull enabled

 

[jon bones]

Let's hope TCGs/CCGs aren't too badly affected, but if they are it could lead to more LCGs.

Regardless, this is a net positive.

 

[oni-link]

Another day, another step towards ending gambling practices in video games

Don't worry though, I'm sure someone will quote an ERA post on how TGC are the same and this will all blow over

 

[TheEchosOfTheCyborg]

Seeing the Netherlands there gives me the impression that at the very least, games with lootboxes that you can "cash out" will be hit hard at least.

 

[tomofthepops]

So would hearthstone just shut down if anything happened ?

 

[TheEchosOfTheCyborg]

Let's hope TCGs/CCGs aren't too badly affected, but if they are it could lead to more LCGs.

Regardless, this is a net positive.

Click to shrink...

Honestly, given how massively popular the second hand market is for cards because it's just easier to get the cards you want that way, I think many would be happy with less randomness and could help take down many of the worse scalpers, a plus for the card companies like Wizard of the Coast and Konami.

 

[Joni]

Just start copying the Belgian law.

 

[oni-link]

To be fair, this won't be the end of lootboxes or gambling shenanigans, it will just means some games will go 18 plus only and/or publishers will get a gambling licence and instead of making obscene amounts of money from lootboxes they'll only make a huge amount of money from lootboxes

 

[Akai]

So would hearthstone just shut down if anything happened ?

Click to shrink...

Nobody will shut down over this. They will just find other ways to sell the content to you.

Like, selling packages and selling idividual content that isn't random.

 

[Eumi]

Glad to see people finally looking at this.

At the very least I hope we'll stop seeing the "not technically gambling and therefore completely fine" spiel.

 

[super moustique]

Sounds great.

 

[BassForever]

Honestly, given how massively popular the second hand market is for cards because it's just easier to get the cards you want that way, I think many would be happy with less randomness and could help take down many of the worse scalpers, a plus for the card companies like Wizard of the Coast and Konami.

Click to shrink...

You're gonna see companies sowly adopted the living and unique card game models going forward. Both would cripple the second hand card market but would enable a wider variety of players access to competitive level decks.

 

[Kouriozan]

Thanks Electronic Arts, you made this possible by pushing it way too far.

 

[NewDust]

Surprising to see Malta on that list, as it is Europe's online gambling heaven.

 

[oni-link]

I find it amusing that the whole 'think of the children' issue was dismissed by a lot of lootbox defenders, only to have it cited in this statement

I guess it turns out encouraging children to gamble is probably a bad thing and maybe not just "telling people what they can and can't do"

 

[Deleted member 31092]

Either take gambling out of gaming or make gaming with lootboxes 18+ only like cigarettes and slot machines.

 

[DavidDesu]

Good. Happy to see the UK here too. There are other business models to explore and while that might piss off some people who are happy to play some games from absolutely free it's in everyone's best interests. Time to end the license to print money off of vulnerable people and kids with access to parents credit cards, whether it is by consent or even worse, not by consent.

 

[AtomicShroom]

Hey EA, can you smell the heat yet?

 

[dex3108]

Tnx EA.

 

[Cup O' Tea?]

The lesson learned here is don't ever piss off Star Wars fanboys. ;)

I kid. I kid. Regulating lootboxes is a fucking good thing. More of this please.

 

[Nightside]

Of course Italy isn't there

 

[Gnorman]

I hope FUT stays around in some capacity.

 

[Jonnax]

If you use gambling psychology on children you are scum.

Glad to see things picking up .

Lol. Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Guernsey are all part of the UK.

 

[Adahel]

OP Spain also signed and is missing in the list

 

[TheCrackInTime]

Pleasantly surprised to see the UK on that list.

 

[test_account]

What does this mean for the mobile market?

 

[Yavga]

Investors: sell, sell, sell!

 

[ElBoxy]

What does this mean for the mobile market?

Click to shrink...

It's gonna get fucked, to put it bluntly. Idk if they can get away with an 18+ age rating.

 

[Phoenix944]

Gotta thank EA for that one lol
Greedy bastards

 

[Bigjig]

Oopsy daisy

 

[chanunnaki]

Whatever people's opinion of Jim Sterling, he's been remarkably consistent and salient in his criticism of the lootbox scandal/saga since the very beginning and helped me a lot in understanding how horrendous lootboxes truly are. I've personally avoided any game that has had them and I'm glad it looks like we might see the end of them before they've infected even more potentially good games.

 

[ASyS_Razia]

OP Spain also signed and is missing in the list

Click to shrink...

Came just to say this. Good to see my gov taking sides for the good, for once.

 

[Bard]

Good, hopefully this spreads to various other countries and EA gets fucked for having the most blatant and anti-consumer application of this practice.

 

[ElBoxy]

Good. Happy to see the UK here too. There are other business models to explore and while that might piss off some people who are happy to play some games from absolutely free it's in everyone's best interests. Time to end the license to print money off of vulnerable people and kids with access to parents credit cards, whether it is by consent or even worse, not by consent.

Click to shrink...

Kids are always gonna get access to their parent's cards as long as that is what is only required to make any purchase. That's never going to stop until banks implement tighter security.

 

[Deleted member 8593]

Publishers have only themselves to blame for pushing this shit as far as they could.

 

[Steroyd]

Yes the UK is on there, which is one of if not THE biggest market for Fifa, we need to take a minute and thank EA for bringing lootboxes to light if not for them we'd never see this move so fast.

 

[Hanbei]

Just start copying the Belgian law.

Click to shrink...

There is no belgian law against it at the moment. They are investigating, who knows the outcome. It could as well lead to absolutely nothing against it.

Also quite funny many people blame Electronic Arts, while at the same time supporting this publisher by buying their games. You want EA to really understand, you don't buy any EA game. Any.

 

[The Omega Man]

Those scummy companies will now have to put a storefront and sell you these crap directly instead of selling you a chance to get something.