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EA stops selling 'FIFA' currency in Belgium due to loot box law
When Belgium declared that loot boxes were illegal and amounted to gambling, EA didn't react well -- it not only defended the practice, it refused to honor the law and insisted its practice was legal. Authorities saw things differently, however, and EA is backing down. The publisher is halting sales of the FIFA series' in-game currency (FIFA Points) in the country by January 31st after "further discussions with the Belgian authorities." Footie fans can still use any points they have left after that moment, but they'll otherwise have to earn content the old-fashioned way.
AI is better at bluffing than professional gamblers
The act of gambling on games of chance has been around for as long as the games themselves. For as long as there's been money to be made wagering on the uncertain outcomes of these events, bettors have been leveraging mathematics to give them an edge on the house. As gaming has moved from bookies and casinos into the digital realm, gamblers are beginning to use modern computing techniques, especially AI and machine learning (ML), to increase their odds of winning. But that betting blade cuts both ways, as researchers work to design artificial intelligences capable of beating professional players at their own game -- and even out-wagering sportsbooks.
Federal Trade Commission agrees to investigate loot boxes
The Federal Trade Commission has agreed to investigate loot boxes in games, along with their impact on kids. The agency's commissioners committed to the probe after Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) raised the issue at a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation subcommittee hearing. Loot boxes offer players in-game items, but because you can often buy them with real money and the virtual goods within are awarded at random, some claim they're tantamount to gambling.
Square Enix removes three mobile games in Belgium after loot box ban
Square Enix will no longer offer three of its mobile games in Belgium after the country banned loot boxes this year. You'll no longer be able to pick up Mobius Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts Union X or Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia in the nation.
US and European gambling regulators may crack down on loot boxes
Gambling regulators from Europe and the US are turning up the heat on game developers over loot boxes, which some jurisdictions claim violate gambling laws. A group of 15 European agencies and the Washington State Gambling Commission agreed to work together to "address the risks created by the blurring of lines between gaming and gambling."
Apple pulls 25,000 gambling apps from China's App Store after pressure
Apple is once again removing apps in response to Chinese government pressure, although under somewhat different circumstances this time around. State media reports that Apple pulled 25,000 gambling apps from China's App Store after a bevy of media outlets (again government-backed) criticized it for inadequate filtering that let through the titles, which have long been illegal in the country. Some of them had slipped into the store by posing as lottery apps.
China busts World Cup gambling ring pulling $1.5 billion in crypto bets
Officials in China have busted a World Cup gambling ring that took in over 10 billion yuan (nearly $1.5 billion) in cryptocurrency bets, reports the South China Morning Post. Six individuals allegedly connected to a dark web-based crime syndicate have been arrested and authorities have seized cryptocurrencies found in their possession worth over 10 million yuan. In a statement, police in the Guangdong province said that gambling platform they ran accepted bitcoin, ethereum and litecoin.
Esports betting just got a whole lot easier. Now what?
On May 14th, the United States Supreme Court eliminated a 26-year-old law prohibiting states from sponsoring sports gambling. Today, states are free to establish their own sports-betting laws, and a few governors are acting fast. New Jersey, the state at the heart of the Supreme Court decision, should have sportsbooks live any day now, while Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware and Mississippi have already passed bills allowing gambling. A handful of other states have legislation in the pipeline, and meanwhile, the NFL, NBA, NHL and other national leagues are calling for some form of federal regulation in sports betting. "In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision, the volume of sports betting in the US is poised to explode -- and esports betting will inevitably follow suit," says Bryce Blum, attorney and founder of Electronic Sports and Gaming Law.
Loot crates are now illegal in Belgium
Officials in Belgium have determined that loot boxes violate the country's gambling laws and if publishers don't remove them from their games, they face jail time and fines. Specifically, FIFA 18, Overwatch and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive were found to be in violation. While Star Wars Battlefront II was also part of the Belgian government's investigation, EA's removal of the game's loot boxes kept it from bumping up against the country's legislation. In a statement, Minister of Justice Koen Geens said that if loot boxes in the aforementioned games aren't removed, their publishers could be subject to up to five years in prison and a fine of up to €800,000 (approximately $974,926). If children are involved, those punishments could be doubled.
ESRB addresses loot box controversy with ‘in-game purchases’ label
The controversy over loot boxes in games like Star Wars: Battlefront II, Need for Speed: Payback and Destiny 2 hasn't settled and state legislators in the US and governments abroad are considering legislation that would limit their use or straight up ban them. Central to the debate is whether loot boxes should be considered gambling and in that regard, the ESRB has maintained that's not the case, saying last year, "While there's an element of chance in these mechanics, the player is always guaranteed to receive in-game content (even if the player unfortunately receives something they don't want)." But that hasn't kept people from pushing the ESRB to do more. New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan sent an open letter to the regulatory body earlier this month, asking it to review its policies on loot boxes and take into account their potential to do harm. And today, the ESRB announced what it will be doing to address concerns over loot boxes.
Can legislation fix gaming's loot box problem?
Last year's gaming controversy has turned into this year's legislative battleground. Fans were outraged when Star Wars: Battlefront II launched with buyable loot boxes that unbalanced multiplayer combat, and other games like Need For Speed: Payback and Destiny 2 had their own pay-to-win controversies. Eventually, loot boxes unsettled enough constituents to rile their representatives. Legislators in Hawaii, Washington and Illinois have introduced bills to either study loot boxes or restrict access to young players, but how effective will they be? What else can lawmakers do?
'Angry Birds Champions' lets players fling pheasants for real money
Angry Birds Champions is now available on iOS devices and through the developer's website, allowing players to fling their feathered friends against precarious piles of pigs in a bid to win real money for the first time. The game is accessible through the WorldWinner iOS app or on WorldWinner.com, joining the studio's other real-money tournament games like Wheel of Fortune, Solitaire, Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit. "It's really the original Angry Birds physics game -- and obviously Rovio's done a number of different derivatives using the iconography -- but this is the core physics game of shooting birds and killing pigs," WorldWinner boss Jeremy Shea told Engadget.
Atari will use cryptocurrency to bolster its online gambling business
In its latest bid for relevance, Atari is glomming onto the cryptocurrency craze. The company is hoping to bolster its gambling business in Europe with Atari Token, according to Bloomberg. "Our aim is to take strategic positions with a limited cash risk, in order to best create value with the assets and Atari brand," CEO Frederic Chesnais noted in a release. Like Kodak and, err, Long Island Iced Tea before it, the stock market has responded favorably to the news, pushing Atari share prices up by over 60 percent after the company announced its intent to jump into cryptocurrency. Maybe now the company can afford to tell people what it's going to include in the Ataribox.
Belgium moves to ban 'Star Wars Battlefront 2'-style loot boxes
We learned last week that Belgium's gambling authority was investigating loot crates in Star Wars Battlefront II over concerns that they constitute gambling. Now, the decision is in, and the answer is a resounding yes, according to Dutch-language publication VTM Nieuws. The commission claims that purchasable add-on boxes, the contents of which are randomized, mix "money and addiction" and thus are a form of gambling.
UK orders shutdown of online casino games aimed at kids
Have you ever seen a gambling machine or website that was all too conspicuously aimed at children? British regulators certainly have. The country's Gambling Commission and advertising overseers have ordered over 450 gambling sites to "immediately" remove casino games they say are targeting the under-18 crowd. The cartoonish graphics, cute characters and even game names (such as Piggy Payout) serve as gambling advertising that's "likely" to appeal to kids, according to an official letter. And these aren't just free titles -- bets range as high as £600 (about $792), so this could be particularly damaging if a child got access.
YouTubers avoid fine over Valve 'CS:GO' gambling scam
A pair of YouTubers have avoided fines after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charged them with steering viewers to a CS:GO gambling site without disclosing that they owned it. Despite misleading viewers (including teenagers) and paying other YouTube personalities to do the same, Trevor "TmarTN" Martin and Thomas "Syndicate" Cassell don't even need to admit guilt, the commission ruled. "The goal of the FTC isn't to be a punitive or draconian agency," the FTC's Mitchell J. Katz told Rolling Stone. "We are here to educate consumers about new markets."
Nevada would allow in-stadium mobile bets at Raiders games
When the Raiders start playing football in Las Vegas, their stadium lease will officially ban the team from offering bets or other forms of gambling in the building. Don't tell that to the Nevada Gaming Commission, though. Its officials understand that there's nothing in the lease precluding the use of mobile betting apps on the facility's grounds, even if you're already in your seat. The NFL tells ESPN that the Raiders will have to "abide by League rules," but the Commission says it hasn't been asked to make any policy decisions so far.
You can now gamble while playing 'Frogger'
Konami has launched a version of Frogger that's suitable for gambling, which is now available to play in a casino. Frogger: Get Hoppin' is a skill-based title that enables players to wager money in exchange for testing their reflexes in the game. It's the first of its kind that's been authorized by Nevada's gambling commission in the hope of creating a new generation of gamblers.
Recommended Reading: The story of 'Legion,' Marvel's latest TV show
Marvel's 'Legion,' explained Eric Watson, Polygon Marvel's latest TV series debuted on FX this week, and if you're a little lost on the backstory or just need a quick refresher, Polygon is here to help. The gaming news outlet posted a primer on Legion this week that offers a look at the most recent comic to make the leap to the small screen. If you're looking for a review of the show, The Atlantic has you covered there.
Libratus, the poker-playing AI, destroyed its four human rivals
The Kenny Rogers classic profoundly states that "you've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em," and for the first time, an AI has out-gambled world-class players at heads-up, no-limit Texas Hold'em. Our representatives of humanity -- Jason Les, Dong Kyu Kim, Daniel McAulay and Jimmy Chou -- kept things relatively tight at the outset but a ill-fated shift in strategy wiped out their gains and forced them to chase the AI for the remaining weeks. At the end of day 20 and after 120,000 hands, Libratus claimed victory with daily total of $206,061 in theoretical chips and an overall pile of $1,766,250.
