Is it gambling or not? That is the question that two French lawyers wanted to address when they filed a case against FIFA Ultimate Team. The game offers packs that have an estimated annual revenue of £850 million.
The FUT packs contain virtual versions of football players that gamers can use to improve their in-game squads. Belgium and the Netherlands already banned the packs. However, the UKGC sees them as non-gambling.
A French complainant said that he was not able to pay his rent after spending £600 since the game came out. However, he was unsatisfied with the packs because the best player he got from them was Kostas Manolas. Instead of wasting money on packets, he should have invested money and learned how to become a bookie.
FIFA Ultimate Team Gambling
Based on Pay Per Head research, people can buy FUT packs using real money or in-game currency. However, there’s no guarantee that they will get the players they want. Thus, complainants filed the case in the French court.
According to Bookie Pay Per Head reports, the UK Gambling Commission had some concerns about children playing games that include elements of buying and chance. However, those elements were not gambling based on current UK laws.
Buying FUT packs might look and feel like gambling. However, legislation dictates that it is not. The game has a free entry that makes it not gambling, but it is like how the lottery works. Pay Per Head King learned that some people compare FUT packs to loot boxes found in other video games.
Some concerned citizens are worried about loot boxes in games such as Gears of War 4, Star Wars Battlefront 2, and Overwatch. EA, the publisher of both Star Wars Battlefront 2 and FIFA 20, got in trouble for its loot boxes.
Some researchers linked loot boxes to problem gambling. It allows gaming companies to exploit gambling problems among their customer for their gains. Also, it can lead to severe problems if left untreated.