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.
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According to research by Leon Y. Xiao 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 contain ‘loot boxes’.
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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 ‘exile’ has many negative consequences. This gives consumers, parents and lawmakers a misplaced sense of security,” he writes.
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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.
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Currently, ‘loot boxes’ are considered gambling in Belgium when they can be purchased with real money and when their contents are left to chance.
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Partly for this reason, certain mechanics are removed from games for the Belgian market, in 2019, for example, by removing certain currencies from ‘FIFA’. In some cases, games are not released in Belgium at all because of the legislation on ‘loot boxes’. For example, ‘Diablo Immortal’ is not available in our country.’
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Online gambling will soon be ‘only’ for a maximum of 200 euros per week
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‘Diablo Immortal’ will not be released in Belgium due to strict rules against ‘loot boxes’
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Online gambling bigger than physical gambling for the first time
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