Updated Mar 17, 2026 by Video Games Europe
Three-quarters of children do not engage in in-game spending, a figure that has remained stable since 2020.
Average monthly in-game spending among children who do spend increased from €33 in 2020 to €39 in 2023, a rise consistent with inflation.
The majority of in-game spending (64%) is concentrated in the €1–20 monthly range, with gameplay-impacting content (34%) and cosmetic items (33%) being the most popular purchases.
Parental oversight is high, with 90% of parents of spending children maintaining some form of agreement, including explicit permission requirements (38%) or spending limits (23%).
While 44% of parents who do not use parental controls consider them unnecessary, 32% report that they find these tools difficult to activate.
Loot boxes and unknown-reward items remain unpopular, with only 4% of all surveyed players (ages 11–64) reporting having purchased them.
The research, conducted across five major European markets, indicates that only 9% of all players (ages 11–64) have purchased in-game currency.
Three-quarters of children do not engage in in-game spending, a figure that has remained stable since 2020.
Average monthly in-game spending among children who do spend increased from €33 in 2020 to €39 in 2023, a rise consistent with inflation.
The majority of in-game spending (64%) is concentrated in the €1–20 monthly range, with gameplay-impacting content (34%) and cosmetic items (33%) being the most popular purchases.
Parental oversight is high, with 90% of parents of spending children maintaining some form of agreement, including explicit permission requirements (38%) or spending limits (23%).
While 44% of parents who do not use parental controls consider them unnecessary, 32% report that they find these tools difficult to activate.
Loot boxes and unknown-reward items remain unpopular, with only 4% of all surveyed players (ages 11–64) reporting having purchased them.
The research, conducted across five major European markets, indicates that only 9% of all players (ages 11–64) have purchased in-game currency.