New study claims Belgium's loot box law isn't being enforced Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. New study claims Belgium's loot box law isn't being enforced Complete elimination "not practically achievable". News by Ed Nightingale News reporter Published on 5 Aug 2022 8 comments Back in 2018, Belgium declared loot boxes in games were a form of gambling and therefore illegal, but it appears this law isn't being enforced. Loot box researcher Leon Y Xiao has written a report stating the country's gambling law regulation of video game loot boxes has been ineffective, as reported by GamesIndustry.biz. Despite the ban, paid loot boxes remained widespread in the top 100 grossing iPhone games in Belgium from 2021, with 82 percent including some form of random monetisation mechanic. Watch on YouTube Eurogamer Newscast: Would you eat a Pokémon? "Although the initial imposition of this measure promoted public discussion and debate both domestically and internationally, an unenforced 'ban' has many negative consequences, including giving consumers, parents, and policymakers a false sense of security and allowing non-compliant games to replace games that have been removed from the national market by more socially responsible companies," posits Xiao in the report. Xiao admits that enforcing the ban is challenging for a variety of reasons, including stigmatisation, the 'forbidden fruit effect', and curtailing companies' commercial interests. As such, "the complete elimination of the loot box mechanic from a country is not practically achievable". Xiao concludes that the Belgian government should reconsider its stance as the current blanket ban method cannot be recommended to other countries. As recently as July, Dutch political parties backed a new attempt to block the sale of loot boxes in the country. Blizzard's Diablo Immortal was not sold in Belgium or the Netherlands owing to their laws on loot boxes. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 7 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store