In yet more suspiciously good news for the gaming industry, a court in Austria has ruled that microtransactions – specifically, the loot boxes in the FIFA series – constitute gambling, and has ordered Sony to issue refunds to the plaintiffs. This comes after an EU resolution to address predatory practices in gaming, which is progressing slowly in typicial EU fashion. Still, more player-friendly regulations in the gaming space are worth waiting for – thus far, it's been relatively uncharted territory, allowing publishers to implement whatever scummy practices they think will wring the most money out of their audience. We don't let kids into casinos, so why allow virtual gambling in their games?
Austria rules FIFA's microtransactions a form of gambling
The logo of soccer's international governing body FIFA is seen on its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, May 27, 2015. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich
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