Belgian Minister of Justice Koen Geens added: “Mixing gambling and gaming, especially at a young age, is dangerous for the mental health of the child.”

The commission will now work with the European Union to push for a total ban.

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Just hours ago, Hawaii’s Rep. Chris Lee denounced EA’s “predatory behavior” in a speech uploaded to YouTube.

In the clip, Lee described Battlefront II as a “Star Wars-themed online casino, designed to lure kids into spending money”.

He is proposing legislation for Hawaii that would prohibit the sale of games containing lootboxes to minors, a move he hopes will cause other states to follow suit.

You can your hands on the new Fifa for free, honestly!FIFA 18 has come under fire from gamers who believe packs are too expensive

On the other side of the world, Australian gambling regulators are also considering whether “loot boxes” in video games constitute gambling.

But why has it taken this long for the relevant authorities to take notice?

Amazingly, the UK Gambling Commission recently decided that lootcrates were not gambling as rewards were only usable in the game – a stance echoed by the US.

However, these views are now coming under intense scrutiny, with top gambling watchdogs calling for these ‘loopholes’ to be closed.

Marc Etches, head of the Gamble Aware charity, told the BBC it was increasingly worried about in-game rewards.

fifa 18 newFIFA is just one of many mainstream that encourage in-game purchases

“It is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish between some increasingly common features in computer games and gambling,” he said.

“Current legislation was not designed for this technology and loopholes need to be closed urgently.”

So, what does this mean for Ultimate Team?

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It’s looking as though EA will have to drastically re-think the entire model, which will be a major concern given the incredible amount of revenue Ultimate Team drives.

We doubt they’ll scrap the entire in-game purchasing model, but unpredictable FUT packs as they stand are dangerously close to gambling.

EA will likely have to provide visibility on exactly what each pack contains and price them accordingly. Although, as we’ve seen in the Battlefront II meltdown, this model brings with it substantial risks.

Battlefront is a solid, if unspectacular, game – but was doomed before it hit the shelves

Something needs to change  – and just like the Battlefront saga, gamers are coming together to ensure this gets pushed through.

A movement called #FIXFIFA has spread across the globe, calling on EA to fix the ‘broken’ game. Ultimate Team packs are just one of the key issues gamers want addressed.

With a change.org petition now boasting more than 23,000 signatures, EA will be forced to take notice.

However way you look at what’s going on with lootboxes, there’s only one winner. The gamers.

And at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters.

WATCH: Hawaii’s Rep Chris Lee lays into EA Sports