Updated Mar 17, 2026 by Video Games Europe
The PEGI Code of Conduct mandates that signatories display purchase icons, provide receipts, and disclose real-world costs for virtual currency, while requiring transparent probability disclosures for paid random items like loot boxes.
Only 20.8% of PEGI-rated games include in-game purchase options, with just 3% of all rated games offering paid random items.
Parental supervision remains robust, with 76% of parents reporting their children do not make in-game purchases, a figure that has remained stable since 2020.
Industry safeguards now include parental tools that default child accounts to zero spending, the separation of transaction interfaces from gameplay, and established refund mechanisms for unauthorized purchases.
Data from 2018–2024 indicates that only 11% of players aged 11–64 have purchased in-game currency across the five largest European markets.
Average in-game spending among permitted purchasers in the Netherlands has declined by 21% since 2023.
The PEGI Enforcement Committee holds the authority to prohibit the use of in-game assets for illegal gambling or unauthorized trading.
The PEGI Code of Conduct mandates that signatories display purchase icons, provide receipts, and disclose real-world costs for virtual currency, while requiring transparent probability disclosures for paid random items like loot boxes.
Only 20.8% of PEGI-rated games include in-game purchase options, with just 3% of all rated games offering paid random items.
Parental supervision remains robust, with 76% of parents reporting their children do not make in-game purchases, a figure that has remained stable since 2020.
Industry safeguards now include parental tools that default child accounts to zero spending, the separation of transaction interfaces from gameplay, and established refund mechanisms for unauthorized purchases.
Data from 2018–2024 indicates that only 11% of players aged 11–64 have purchased in-game currency across the five largest European markets.
Average in-game spending among permitted purchasers in the Netherlands has declined by 21% since 2023.
The PEGI Enforcement Committee holds the authority to prohibit the use of in-game assets for illegal gambling or unauthorized trading.