Gamers in the Netherlands and Belgium are Not Going to be Able to Open Loot Boxes in CS:GO Because of New Laws

Gamers in the Netherlands and Belgium aren’t going to be able to open loot boxes in CS:GO Because of New Laws

Loot boxes have been the most controversial part of gaming since 2017. When developers first brought loot boxes into games gamers were mad that they were in there but since it wasn’t paid to win they didn’t have a problem but when publishers placed loot boxes that made the games pay to win gamers didn’t take it. When EA released their pay to win game Star Wars Battlefront II gamers hated on Star Wars Battlefront II so much that EA eventually removed all pay to win mechanics in Battlefront II. Because of Battlefront II many governments from around the world started investigating to see if randomized loot boxes in video games should be labeled as gambling or not. After the investigations, most countries decided that loot boxes aren’t gambling but some countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium decided that publishers should remove randomized loot boxes from games. 

Steam disabled Market and item trading after the Netherlands Gaming Authority decided that loot boxes in some games are violating the country’s gambling laws. The Netherlands government decided that developers have to change laws that are violating Netherland’s laws by June 20th. Valve said that they have to contact Netherlands Gaming Authority to figure out what is going on. In CS:GO’s latest update Valve reenabled  Steam Trading and Steam Market but gamers in Belguim and the Netherlands will not have access to loot boxes.

Belgium’s government issued a similair ruling as the Netherlands and named three specific games that violate the countries new laws CS:GO, Overwatch, and FIFA 18. This means that CS:GO players in these two countries will be able to buy and sell items directly but they wouldn’t be able to partake in the randomized system of loot boxes. 

Tags and Keywords:
Technology, Video Games, Loot Boxes, Valve, Counter-Strike Global Offensive

Ali F
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