Belgium bans Fifa points after considering it act of gambling

In Fifa 19’s ‘Ultimate Team’, gamers have the opportunity to earn coins, which can then be used to buy packs of new players. However, players also have the option of paying for points to put towards player packs, using real money. These player packs are known as ‘loot boxes’.

In Belgium, in-game purchases are illegal because they are seen as a form of gambling, They see buying player packs as an “illegal game of chance”, because gamers don’t know exactly what’s in a box when they buy it, and therefor the Belgium goverment banned fifa points.

EA Sports boss Andrew Wilson says he doesn’t agree that its games could “be considered as any form of gambling”.

He argues that because players “always receive a specified number of items in each pack”, and “don’t provide or authorise any way to cash out or sell items or virtual currency for real money”, they are not “an illegal game of chance”.

the new ban law will take affect in 31th of January.