EA Sports sued for $5 million over claims FIFA Ultimate Team constitutes gambling: Report

Introduced in 2009, FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) is arguably the most popular mode in the EA Sports FIFA series. Ultimate Team allows players to build their dream XIs and play against other players online. Players can assemble the best team possible by acquiring football players through packs - which can be bought with coins or 'FIFA Points'. The ethics of FIFA Ultimate Team have been questioned for some time now, with experts claiming that the 'microtransactions' in FUT should be regulated under the Gambling Act of 2005.

FIFA Ultimate Team 'gambling' claims gather pace

Amid calls to bring FUT under the watchful eyes of a gambling body, latest reports suggest a class-action lawsuit has been filed against EA Sports in California. Per Video Game Chronicles, the plaintiff has sued both the FIFA and Madden series, claiming the Ultimate Team packs used in both games constitute gambling and are in violation of California law. The plaintiff named in the lawsuit is Kevin Ramirez, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of 100 others on August 13. The plaintiff is reportedly looking for $5 million in damages. 

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According to the publication, the lawsuit claims "EA’s Ultimate Team Packs are Loot Boxes" and investing in the packs hoping for the player of choice is nothing "more than a gamble". In the lawsuit, Ramirez claims he had been induced to spend money to purchase Ultimate Team packs. The plaintiff estimates to have spent over $600 in FIFA and Madden since 2011. 

There is no legal consensus in the United States on whether loot boxes constitute gambling. However, Ramirez plans to use Belgium's ruling on the matter as precedent in order to move their case forward. In 2018, Belgium banned FIFA from selling such loot boxes after classifying its mechanics as gambling. 

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This is not the first time there have been protests to have FIFA Ultimate Team regulated under gambling laws. Last month, BBC reported that the House of Lords Gambling Committee has called for loot boxes and microtransactions in the game to be regulated under gambling laws. Back in February, two lawyers in Paris filed lawsuits against EA Sports as they believe FUT should be defined as gambling. Last year in November, FIFA 20 players protested outside EA's headquarters in Bucharest over the unfair permutations of the loot boxes in the game.

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(Image Credits: EA Sports website)