Electronic Arts is under fire yet again due to loot boxes, which have been a controversial topic in the gaming community. While some players have considered them to be gambling, many also argue against this, saying that loot boxes will always give gamers something, even if it’s not the valuable item that they are looking for.
In particular, Electronic Arts has been the target of many lawsuits centered around loot box regulation. Some players have previously sued the company and others that use the system, saying that since loot boxes cost real money and the chances of getting any specific item seem to be completely randomized. Because of this, the company is having another lawsuit filed against it, this time due to the FIFA series’ Ultimate Team mode.
The class-action lawsuit is being filed in California due to the addictive nature of EA’s Ultimate Team Packs, which are basically loot boxes with a different name. The lawsuit alleges that these in-game purchases, which require real-world currency, are used to try and obtain valuable professional players and other helpful items for the player’s virtual team, but these chances are completely randomized. Without knowing what chances players have of obtaining a specific player or item, they are essentially just taking a shot in the dark to get what they are trying to buy. The same law firm also filed a class action against Apple in June over loot boxes in California.
The plaintiff Kevin Ramirez says that he has “been induced” to spend over $600 in US currency on Ultimate Team packs in EA’s FIFA and Madden since 2011, and he is demanding a jury trial and $5 million for damages. The US hasn’t had an official ruling on whether or not loot boxes are legally considered gambling, but other countries have had cases that set a precedent in favor of Ramirez.
In 2018, Belgium has banned loot box sales due to the mechanic being considered gambling. Last year, gaming companies such as Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo announced that they would be including policies that would require games to disclose the percentage chance of obtaining each item, and these policies will be instated in 2020.
While the outcome of this case is uncertain, it may force the US legal system to define loot boxes as a form of gambling or not, laying this matter to rest. This matter is still an issue in other countries just as much as the US, and now EA games will have to have to add content advisory labels to FIFA and Madden due to the micro-transactions present in the games.
Source: VGC
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