Austrian Court Finds FIFA Loot Boxes Breach Gambling Regulations

A recent ruling by an Austrian court has determined that FIFA's loot boxes contravene the country's gambling laws, necessitating refunds for affected players. According to a report by GamesWirtschaft, the district court of Hermagor has categorized FIFA Ultimate Team's card packs as a form of illegal gambling due to the potential for players to profit from selling cards on secondary markets, thereby assigning a financial value to these randomized items. This verdict stems from a lawsuit filed in 2022 by a group of PlayStation-owning FIFA players against Sony Interactive Entertainment Network Europe Ltd. The lawsuit targeted Sony because the loot boxes were purchased through the PlayStation Store, establishing a contractual relationship between the users and Sony. A law firm specializing in recovering losses from online casinos, Padronus, indicated to GamesWirtschaft that over 1,000 FIFA users have contacted them with claims totaling around €800, with some extreme cases reaching up to €85,000. However, the court has ordered Sony to refund a total of €338.26, a decision that is not yet final as Sony has the option to appeal. The debate surrounding whether loot boxes constitute a form of gambling has been ongoing for several years, with FIFA Ultimate Team frequently at the center of these discussions due to its popularity. The Netherlands was among the first to rule that FIFA's card packs violate gambling laws in 2018, although this decision was later overturned by the country's highest administrative court.