Paris Lawyers Sue EA for Not Labelling FIFA Ultimate Team as Gambling

Two lawyers in Paris have filed lawsuits against the video game company Electronic Arts regarding their very popular FIFA video game series, arguing that its Ultimate Team (FUT) mode should be labelled as a form of gambling.

Karim Morand-Lahouazi and Victor Zagury are arguing on behalf of players they believe are at risk of gambling addiction. They are representing a client who has supposedly spent “€600 in five months without ever getting a big player.”

In FUT, players earn and buy packs of cards that feature the current and past great football stars and either plug them into their roster or sell them on an auction-style transfer market.

The lawyers said that “buying packs is nothing more than a bet. It is the logic of a casino that has entered their homes.” The two brought up regulations in countries like The Netherlands and Belgium, where loot boxes can only be opened if earned from gameplay, and cannot be purchased.