Earlier this week, we reported on a move by the Belgian Gaming Commission to investigate lootboxes in games like Star Wars Battlefront 2 to determine whether they constitute games of chance to the degree that they require regulation meant for gambling. Now it appears the Dutch have joined in.
The debate over loot boxes often hinges on how predatory or intentionally deceptive the mechanic is. Although it’s often difficult to classify whether or not these system are truly games of chance.
A game of chance is a game whose outcome is strongly influenced by some randomizing device, and upon which contestants may choose to wager money or anything of monetary value. The contention occurs over whether the actual loot drops are sufficiently random and/or influenced to be considered gambling.
According to NU.nl, the Dutch Gaming Authority is now joining the investigation into whether this particular game mechanic falls under the banner of online gambling, which according to the news outlet is currently banned in the Netherlands, games of chance are subject to strict regulation as well. According to the regulatory group, the investigation is “still in a research phase.”
