It is no secret that microtransactions, especially those pertaining to loot boxes, have been one of the biggest points of controversy in gaming the past year. This especially came to a tipping point of sorts last year with Star Wars Battlefront II, prompting many angry and hilarious fan responses. The game was published by Electronic Arts, who have often earned themselves the ire of many gamers for their business practices in the past. Now, the company has commented on the recent rulings by regulators that called loot boxes gambling.

Electronic Arts recently held an investor call reporting on the end of their fourth quarter of the fiscal year in which the company’s CEO Andrew Wilson spoke to the investors. One question that came up pertained to the recent deliberations by the Belgian Gaming Commission last month that declared loot boxes gambling. In response, Wilson stated that EA has been working with industry associations and regulators worldwide, and with them have “established that programs like FIFA Ultimate Team are not gambling.” When it comes to EA’s official stance on loot boxes and microtransactions, Wilson had this to say:

“We don’t believe that FIFA Ultimate Team or loot boxes are gambling firstly because players always receive a specified number of items in each pack, and secondly we don’t provide or authorize any way to cash out or sell items or virtual currency for real money.”

Given the specificity of most gambling laws on what constitutes gambling, this presentation of loot boxes and how they function does largely keep them outside the legal designation of gambling for most laws out there. Still, EA says they are working to “push forward and always thinking about players… in a transparent, fun, fair, and balanced way.” However, there will likely still be many gamers and legislators out there looking to keep EA’s practices in check. Luckily for them, real life efforts don’t rely on Star Cards to grow. What do you guys think about EA’s response to regulators calling loot boxes gambling? Let us know in the comments below!

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