Monetising Play: Regulating in-game and in-app premium currencies

Half of all Europeans aged 6 to 64 play video games. Young people are particularly concerned, with around 3 in 4 children playing regularly. However, video games hide major issues for consumers. Harmful commercial practices are bursting into the sector: from loot boxes to deceptive designs, and from aggressive marketing to direct exhortation of children for in-game spending. One type of in-game purchase that is especially problematic to consumers, is the so-called in-game or in-app premium currency.

European consumer law remains fully applicable to the gaming sector and to in-game currencies. However, the law is insufficiently enforced in Member States. Furthermore, the European legislation also has limitations in the gaming sector that needs to be corrected following the Digital Fairness Fitness Check.

This report provides recommendations both for a reform to further regulate in-game and in-app premium currencies and for better enforcement of existing EU legislation in this sector.