Konami ends sale of in-game currency for PES 2019 in Belgium

Konami has discontinued the in-game sale of Pro Evolution Soccer 2019’s myClub Coins currency in Belgium, a move that seeks to keep the game from falling on the wrong side of Belgian laws against loot boxes and similar chance-based purchases.

The Belgian Gaming Commission ruled that loot boxes qualified as games of chance, something banned under existing gambling laws, back in early 2018. Since, a number of game companies have had to amend their monetization schemes for Belgian titles or pull the games from sale outright to avoid prosecution.

A handful of Square Enix mobile games, for example, were pulled from Belgian stores late last year over monetization methods. Other games, like Arena Net's Guild Wars 2 and EA’s FIFA 18, have had their in-game currencies or loot boxes retroactively removed to stay in line with Belgian law.

In the case of PES 2019, Belgian players will no longer be able to spend their hard earned cash on the game’s MyClub Coins currency once the change rolls out, though they will still be able to earn Coins through in-game systems and spend them all the same.