EA plans to appeal loot box case in The Netherlands

Earlier this week, the Dutch Gaming Authority announced plans to fine EA millions of dollars for its inclusion of “addictive gaming elements” in FIFA in The Netherlands. EA previously threw in the towel and removed the ability to buy FIFA points when it ran into this problem in Belgium, but this time around, the publisher will be appealing. 

Authorities in The Netherlands are looking to fine EA between 500,000 and 5 million euros per week until it removes or implements changes into FIFA Ultimate Team, which has come under fire plenty of times for its card pack system.

Speaking with Eurogamer, an EA spokesperson said that it would be appealing, holding on to its claim that FIFA Ultimate Team packs do not resemble gambling mechanics:

“Players all over the world have enjoyed FIFA and the FIFA Ultimate Team mode for many years and as such, we are disappointed by this decision and what it may mean for our Dutch community. We do not believe that our products and services violate gambling laws in any way. We are appealing this decision and we seek to avoid a situation impacting the ability of Dutch players to fully experience and enjoy FIFA Ultimate Team.”

EA will be filing its appeal in the coming days, but it could take some time to move up the legal pipeline. We'll be awaiting further updates and an official response to EA's appeal soon.

KitGuru Says: Where do you stand on the loot box debate? Do you agree that they resemble gambling mechanics, or should game publishers continue to implement these systems without regulation?

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