Loot boxes have become a major controversy in the gaming sphere, earning game developers the ire of consumers and governments alike, and now the practice could be banned in The Netherlands.
Politicians representing 6 major Dutch political parties have proposed a bill in the Dutch senate that would call for the banning of loot boxes in video games.
The motion said claims "in video games, children are manipulated into making microtransactions and that loot boxes are also a form of gambling."
The motion goes on to claim that as a result of these payments, "they can get addicted and can burden families with unexpected bills for these transactions."
'FIFA' has come under fire from the Dutch government in the past, with a Dutch court ruling in 2020 that EA were to be fined €500,000 for every week the Ultimate Team mode was available.
The ruling was later overturned in March of this year, but that particular court ruling shows that the issue of loot boxes is an issue on the mind of European politicians.
Discussing the overturning of the ruling, the Dutch Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State found that the ruling was an "unjustified penalty," but this new piece of legislation in the Dutch senate would look to overturn that.
The bill is expected to pass through the Dutch senate, and considering it has cross-party appeal, it should pass and become law, making The Netherlands the second European nation to ban loot boxes.
Loot boxes have become a substantial political issue in Europe, with a recent Norwegian government report calling for tighter regulation of the practice, and the controversial 'Diablo Immortal' being unavailable for Belgian or Dutch players owing to microtransactions.
The report was endorsed by consumer groups from 18 different European nations, which has put the heat on gaming developers.
Belgium took the step to ban loot boxes in 2018 following the controversial release of 'Star Wars Battlefront 2', which was slated by critics and players alike for its heavy use of loot boxes.
Developers like EA and 2K have come under heavy fire for their inclusion of loot boxes in their sports titles, which brings in a substantial amount of revenue for developers.
Despite a critical mauling and negative fan reaction, Variety reports that Blizzard are making €1 million a day from micro transactions in 'Diablo Immortal'.
Loot boxes have become an easy way for developers to add revenue will after the player pays for a game, with the likes of sports titles offering players the chance to buy loot boxes so they can unlock their favourite sporting stars.
The recent report commissioned by the Norwegian government found that it could cost as much as €13,361 to "unpack" the cover star of 'FIFA 22', Kylian Mbappe.
The report discovered that players had a 1.3% chance of discovering a Team Of The Year Mbappe card, which would necessitate the player spending that outrageous sum to attain the player.
With the issue surrounding loot boxes becoming a hot topic in European politics again, only time will tell if the gaming industry changes its ways or begins a stand-off with European consumer rights groups and governments alike.
