Government response on Loot Boxes
You recently signed the petition “Extend the Gambling Act to cover Loot Boxes”:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/300171
A House of Lords Committee has published a report on Gambling Harm, which highlights evidence that loot boxes cause gambling problems or exploit problem gambling, and calls for the Government to extend gambling legislation to cover loot boxes.
The report stresses that the Gambling Act does not need amending to allow it to cover loot boxes; ministers already have the power to make regulations to do this, so it could be done in a matter of weeks.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/300171
A House of Lords Committee has published a report on Gambling Harm, which highlights evidence that loot boxes cause gambling problems or exploit problem gambling, and calls for the Government to extend gambling legislation to cover loot boxes.
The report stresses that the Gambling Act does not need amending to allow it to cover loot boxes; ministers already have the power to make regulations to do this, so it could be done in a matter of weeks.
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I doubt EA i going to change the FP / loot box principal if not (many!) more countries will come with the same statement.
UK will just be Belgium#2.
Is it easily bypassed via a VPN?
Once the uk does it others will likely follow, EA should just do the decent thing and banish these ‘surprise mechanics’.
Exactly the same as brexit, once we leave the EU will break up. Oh it hasn't happened yet
If EA choose to do the same as they done with Belguim the UK media will run riot with that story. It would be a PR nightmare and will also look bad on FIFA who could put pressure on EA.
Can you imagine the headlines "UK government bans loot boxes as they're gambling for kids, EA choose to block them in the UK instead of removing them altogether."
Not to mention when this law is passed and it makes mainstream news it's very likely other countries will start to follow. Belguim done a good job in banning loot boxes but they didn't do a great job spreading the awareness. The UK will do both.
We re still in a transition period eu are begging for that to be extended. Anyway hope all these governments see sense and ban this introduction to gambling for kids.
Begging to be extended? You have any idea what's going on there?
It won’t be, you’ve interpreted it wrong. People in Belgium can still buy packs with coins. The UK legislation states that loot boxes are games of chance and should be considered gambling. Packs will need to be removed. EA have 2 choices: exclude their biggest market from the game, in turn creating a PR nightmare. Or re work the entire game to not include packs. The legislation won’t permit any other way.
Don't know why you keep thinking this would even be an option 🤣
The uk is futs biggest market so far from Belgium #2 and will definitely force some kind of change at ea in regards to forcing children into gambling at a young age and think it’s fine because they call it surprise mechanics 🤮and actually compare it to kinder eggs
if the Uk is out it won’t be long before everyone else follows suit as this topic is being widely debated by all major countries around the world
I personally can’t see them excluding the UK from UT. It’s by far the biggest market, if you are going to keep anyone happy, you keep your best customers happy. Could you imagine the backlash if they exclude the UK because the refuse to drop their model of marketing gambling to children! The implications of that would be huge and would hurt the company much more than making a switch to how the game operates. The change is coming worldwide, no point upsetting your fan base for the sake of rinsing packs for another 12 months. They undoubtedly have a plan b. Their shareholders would have demanded a plan b when all this stuff started to kick off years back
For who?
geniune question, but where do you get the information from that 'UK is by far the biggest market' ?
I dont think anyone (apart from EA) has even the slightest clue on where the most points are spend. Not talking about players, talking about where the most FP's are spend.
Your thinking is all wrong mate 🤣
So EA doing the right thing would be a PR nightmare but excluding the whole of the UK from the game so they can keep kids gambling wouldn't be? C'mon I know you love to back up EA with absolutely everything but surely you don't even believe what you're saying 🤣🤣🤣
There is not legislation, just a report of recommendations. Nobody really knows what that means in a practical sense.
Regarding “uk is the biggest market etc”, if we assume the UK makes up even 5% of sales, that’s not insignificant. A 5% hit to profits will not look good to the shareholders. They’ll want to find some way to monetise that region. Remember, it’s not just Fifa point sales which would fall off if they blocked the UK from FUT, they’d probably sell about half as many copies of the base game too. That’s gonna cost them hundreds of millions. The idea that EA would exclude a whole huge market from their most popular game mode is ridiculous and not even worth thinking about.
If EA wil change this fully, they are admitting that it was wrong, making themselves accountable for the results and damage, lawsuits etc.
How do you think reactions will be on that?
ps. Noone is 'backing up' EA, here. If people do not agree with your view, its not always 'backing up' EA.
There was a website that measures popularity by trophies and achievement unlocks. Last time I checked, UK accounted for 15% of the market, closely followed by the us and then I think Thailand were 3rd with about 7% of the market share. Do not under estimate the influence the UK has on this game
im not talking about achievements / trophies though, I'm talking about where the most FP's are being bought and spend.
Again, I'm all for a different system, dont get me wrong.
Mate, I’m sure you’re a nice guy but my god you don’t half talk some rubbish. If a new law is passed then it’s up to the company to adhere to the new standards. It has nothing to do with admitting foul play or liability 😂. A law could be passed saying drinking beer is now illegal, that doesn’t mean any company that ever sold it prior to the law is now liable. You move with the times.
There is tension between the higher contributing and lower contributing nations in the eu and the distribution of funds, Germany and France are fighting with Spain Italy Poland Bulgaria Portugal Greece and other nations and have been since we left its only a matter of time before it dissolves, so get your facts correct before you make daft comments