FIFA may not be released in countries where betting is prohibited

A recent FIFA patch added code to completely disable Ultimate Team in some countries/regions. The FUT Watch mining team found the code of a token that reads “FIFA Ultimate Team is currently inaccessible due to a request from your regional government” in the latest patch.
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Although currently EA has not confirmed information about blocking Ultimate Team, but the publisher is preparing for this situation. Previously, EA had negotiated with local government agencies and legislators in many European countries. The Company remains compliant with local laws by not selling FIFA Points (as was the case in Belgium). Players in Belgium can still access Ultimate Team, but they can only buy players with in-game currency.

So far, the move has kept EA out of trouble with the authorities, but the number of countries starting to tighten restrictions on EAs is growing. Recently, EA was fined 10 million euros in the Netherlands for allegedly breaking the law regarding player packages FIFA Ultimate Team. If EA is required to disable loot boxes, the company will likely have to completely suspend Ultimate Team.
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