Joining the Netherlands and Belgium, Finland has opened its own investigation into the legality of loot boxes. Are they illegal? Are they lovely? Finland will find out!
As EA continues to defy Belgium over FIFA, and Overwatch, NBA 2K19, etc. find themselves subject to scrutiny, the fight over monetization is starting to heat up. And of course, CS:GO has a big role to play too.
Source: https://www.hs.fi/nyt/art-2000005827320.html
Rough translation:
FINLAND POLICE HAVE STARTED THE INVESTIGATION OF LOOT BOXES LEGALITY
A police inquiry was recently lodged with the police of the southwest Finland, targeting loot boxes. The case is yet only in preliminary investigation and the police still refuse to state the name of the game in question.
Earlier in August 2018 Finland Lottery Authority issued an opinion in which it talks about the position of the loot boxes for the first time for its legal status and seeks that loot boxes belong to Finland lottery law.
According to Finland Lottery Authority statement, the lottery authority considers that “certain features of a video game containing loot boxes seem to meet the lottery definition” and Valve’s CS:GO is mentioned in the statement.
Lotteries are seeking unlawful in Finland if it meets ALL these four conditions:
1. Loot boxes can be bought fully or partly with real money.
2. The player does not know what’s inside the box.
3. Loot Boxes may be exchanged for cash either by the publisher of a video game on their own or on third-party trading venues.
4. A video game publisher or other operator doesn’t have licence for running a lottery (which can be only acquired in Finland by RAY and charity lotteries).
According to the Finland Lottery Authority, video game loot boxes don’t need to be denied, but the features that are fulfilling the lottery law must be tackled.
“This is a general discussion of loot boxes and lottery law, as well as what elements should be in the loot box to make it a problem,” says Senior Inspector Mikko Cantell of the Police Department.
Always loved Finland
It’s all Finnnished now.
Sorry
Imagine a world where monetization and lootboxes were banned from gaming for good….just like the good old days.
Recently moved to Finland. Finland is excellent.
SUOMI MAINITTU TORILLA TAVATAAN
Bring down the ban hammer
The rebellion against the evil corporations of gaming industry is growing stronger now. The more countries join the fight against greedy practices the better our games will be. #FuckEA
Haha ebin 😀 get rekt evil merchants 😀 benis in the ass. Finland stronk
The scumbags of the games industry are hopefully about to get a rude wake-up call. I can almost feel them squirming and their anuses tightening at the thought of not being allowed to monetise loot boxes. It’s glorious.
Finland? More like Fineland for lootboxes!
“You okay Patrick?”
“FINLAND!!!”
With Finland, Belgium, and the Netherlands all joining in on the discussion at-large, it’s gonna start looking like the Smash Bros. Ultimate roster soon enough.
*EVERYONE IS INVESTIGATING LOOTBOXES!*
Unlike USA’s crap law system, the European countries actually apply their law for the sake of the citizen. EA already lost the battle
Publishers mentioned that loot boxes have “no real world value” in that case why are they charging for them ?
Anyone with half a brain knew this is going to happen.
not gonna happen in the US, everyone is paid off.
Please tell me loot boxes will be extinct by next year
I very well _might_ be wrong (I apologize if I am) but aren’t Finland, Netherlands, and Belgium all a part of the European Union?
If so things may be looking up, I think it’d set a pretty decent message if 3 out of 13(? (Now I _know_ that’s wrong) partners of the EU all see lootboxes as gambling. Wouldn’t be long for the rest to follow suit.