Apologies if this topic has been covered in another thread already, I couldn't find anything related.

Let's talk about items and 'freebies', like the current [Event] Black Spirit's Summer Gift III being unavailable in Belgium and Netherlands. Otherwise being offered for purchase on 5/8, 5/9, 5/15 and 5/16, this means I am missing out on no less than 4 nice Shakatu Mystery Boxes, just because I live in a country with extra tight rules around gambling - that absolutely no gamer gives a sh*t about. 

I understand that players from Belgium and the  Netherlands make up a very small portion of the BDO player base and that you probably don't care a single bit about us, the unlucky few, but it's hardly fair to be discriminated based on location. I'm sure there are plenty other items available to pick from that aren't restricted in our countries due to gambling regulations. 

I'm aware it's a legal issue, and not one that you are likely keen to play around with, but buying items with ingame currency (aka 10 million silver) isn't exactly gambling. The rules should only be applicable on real life euro currency.

I don't think PA made those rules out of blue for those 2 countries. So don't blame them that the country has gambling issues. So maybe blame the country you'rein that set such rules. 

It's 100M silver btw

1. you are wrong as many gamers are dead against any form of loot bixes. 

2. you can convert real money into game money to buy these loot boxes so it is gambling.

It appears you have misunderstood my post. 

1) I was not talking about the 100M gamble boxes. I was talking about the black spirit gift III for 10M.

2) What smallbrain deduction. Elaborate research has shown that Belgian and Dutch gamers have no gambling issues that are more serious or severe than any gamer in other European neighbouring countries. The law has been designed around the idea that children and young people who play these kind of games could potentially be more vulnerable to problematic game designs, aka loot boxes. But with the exception of Belgium, the Netherlands and Slovakia, no EU country has come to the conclusion that loot boxes fulfil their national gambling criteria and found it therefore recommended to tackle problematic game designs from a wider consumer protection perspective.

Anyway, my point was not to discuss the laws as such. They are there to stay whether anyone agrees with them or not.

My point is that there are easy solutions to avoid discrimination. Like for example let us buy 10 "panto seals" for 10M instead of a "mystery box" for 10M. It is our own choice then to convert it ingame for a box or not and doesn't fall under the lootbox law. They could sell them for loyalty points instead of silver, which can't technically be acquired with rl currency. 

The consequences of this law go much further than just these lootboxes we're missing out on right now though. We are often unable to buy a promotion in the Pearl Shop, such as the Halloween costume boxes, the random limited pet boxes or any other promotion that added an extra mystery box to the deal. We miss out on quite a lot, to be fair.

1. Point taken. I must have been talking to mostly gamers on the other side of the fence then. 

2. It's pretty far fetched to think that any player would have to buy a costume with real life currency and sell it on the MP to be able to afford 10 million silver ingame. You get 10 million silver just by logging in every day, as a figure of speech. I mean sure, it is gambling, as per defition, but not of the same caliber as you would find in world of warcraft, where you can inject real life currency as well as converting ingame gold to real life currency under the form of balance value. You know what I mean. These "free lootboxes" are peanuts. 

Your groverment forced this, enjoy.

Next time when you vote, know who to not vote for...

Okay so while it doesnt solve your issue with it being restricted, you can use a VPN to connect with a country in europe to circumvent that i guess?

Keep in mind to do that with a country that is available for the NA/EU regions  tho :).

Personally, as someone who has the same restrictions, i dont really mind them since it saves me the urge for wasting my silver on what'll probably 25 meme frags ;p

This has been done specifically to punish Belgium and the Netherlands for enacting laws that protect their players. This is not the government's fault, all of you pople saying that it is are PA simps that need to sit in the corner and think about what you're saying. It is not a gambling box, there is zero reason for them to restrict it based on the law, it is done to punish people for being freed from this aspect corporate greed.

I agree a 100%, it's not Gambling at all, not in the sense of it's true meaning, it's simply a virtual game of chance using a virtual currency that cannot be transferred into Euro's, therefore it has no monitory value imo.

Also with regards to using a VPN, if the "Region of Residence" on the account cannot be changed then I fail to see how this can help.

Point is if PA can put code into the game to stop this then they can also code around it to make it fair or create an alternative solution. 

Quote: "The consequences of this law go much further than just these loot boxes we're missing out on right now though. We are often unable to buy a promotion in the Pearl Shop, such as the Halloween costume boxes, the random limited pet boxes or any other promotion that added an extra mystery box to the deal. We miss out on quite a lot, to be fair."

That's just crazy!

Silver boxes should be excluded becuase it's in game currency not real money (but of course you can sell pearl item for silver).