EA and Sony loose second instance lootbox case in Austria
EA and Sony will have to pay back 10,800 euros after a court in Vienna ruled that a plaintiff had spent the money on loot boxes in FIFA games. The publisher is not contesting the second instance ruling, but has criticised the decision and pointed to previous cases it has won.
The first judgement classifying loot boxes as illegal gambling in Austria was decided at the end of February and became final at the end of March. Since then, other lawsuits have been filed in Austria against Sony and Electronic Arts, all of which have essentially the same case: the plaintiffs want the money they spent on FIFA packs, i.e. loot boxes, back. According to media reports, EA has won two such cases in the past, including, according to EA itself, one at the same regional court in Vienna. When contacted, EA confirmed that one of these cases was the one that has now been decided against EA in the second instance. A second case was decided in favour of EA.