Austrian Court: FIFA FUT’s loot boxes are illegal gambling

A judge in Austria has ruled that Fifa’s Ultimate Team mode is a form of gambling due to the randomness and “financial advantage” players can get if they are dealt a valuable card, according to the German news site Games Wirtschaft. As a result, this mode can be considered “illegal gambling,” according to the court’s decision.

In addition to EA, Sony is also being held responsible. The PlayStation manufacturer has to pay 338 euros to the suing players because the transactions went through the PlayStation Store.

Sony does not have a gaming license, so the contract of sale between players and the company would be void. In addition, the judge wants FUT (FIFA Ultimate Team) packages to be classified as “licensed gambling” from now on. Neither company has yet responded to the verdict. Although the judge finds gambling illegal, they are unable to ban it because they are not speaking on behalf of the government.

In 2020, the Dutch government fined EA half a million euros for every week the company sold loot boxes, as this policy was considered gambling and was therefore prohibited. However, this decision was eventually reversed.

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