FIFA falls afoul of another country's gambling laws

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The latest lawsuit isn't a done deal just yet

FIFA 23
(Image credit: EA)

EA's has fallen afoul of another country's gambling laws in court.

As reported over the past weekend by German publication GamesWirtschaft (and translated by GamesIndustry.biz), an Austrian court has ruled that FIFA's loot boxes violate the country's gambling laws. The court has demanded that affected players be immediately refunded in full by EA.

According to the German outlet, 1,000 FIFA players in Austria have contacted Padronus, a law firm that specializes in recovering money from online casinos. Some claims from players are around the €800 mark, although extreme cases where players are seeking to recover €8,500 have been heard.

The Austrian court, though, has ordered Sony to refund just €338.26 to players. Keep in mind Sony can still appeal against this decision, so this entire case is by no means done and dusted. 

This is hardly the first time FIFA's loot boxes, and by extension EA, have been found to violate a nation's gambling laws. The Netherlands originally ruled in 2018 that the loot boxes violate their gambling laws, and fined EA to the tune of €10 million, although this was later overturned by another court ruling.

Don't be surprised, then, if this Austrian ruling also ends up being overturned in the future. It's worth noting that this time Sony is the defendant, whereas, in The Netherlands' case, EA was the one under scrutiny in the court. 

Head over to our new games 2023 guide for a look at all the upcoming titles on the horizon. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.