Belgian ban on loot boxes in games may not be properly enforced – IT Pro – News

The ban on loot boxes in Belgium may not be properly enforced. A study shows that the vast majority of popular games for the iPhone in Belgium still use the banned gambling mechanism.

According to research by Leon Y Xiao spotted by GamesIndustry.biz 82 percent of the 100 highest-earning games on the App Store contain some form of ‘random revenue generation’, referring to the loot box feature banned by the Belgian Gaming Commission. More than 80 percent of the games suitable for children aged 12 and older would also contain loot boxes.

Xiao emphasizes that it is extremely difficult to enforce such a law and that the current policy of the Belgian Gaming Commission is not working for that reason. “While the initial enactment of the law sparked public debate both nationally and internationally, an unenforced ‘ban’ has many negative consequences, giving consumers, parents and lawmakers a misguided sense of security.”

He also argues that developers who do not follow the rules are given an unfair advantage, which exacerbates the problem. According to Xiao, ‘game companies with a sense of responsibility’ are making way for games that ignore current legislation.

Currently become loot boxes in Belgium labeled as gambling when they can be purchased with real money and when their contents are left to chance. Partly for this reason, certain mechanics are removed from games for the Belgian market, for example in 2019 by remove certain currencies from FIFA. In some cases, games are not released in Belgium at all due to loot box legislation. For example, Diablo Immortal is not available in Belgium and the Netherlands. Speaking of the Netherlands, here too loot box laws apply. When the contents of a loot box are tradable for real money, it counts as a gambling mechanism and is prohibited.

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