In-game currencies are a well-established practice
In-game currencies are not a new phenomenon. They have been used for over a decade in some games and are a well-established practice that consumers understand well.
For many years, the game industry has had various safeguards in place for in-game purchases of digital content, such as in-game currencies. These safeguards are in place to ensure that no unwanted transactions can be made, especially by minors. The industry provides tools to parents and guardians to manage children’s spending within the video game so that children do not engage in any financial transactions without the consent of their parents or guardians. The co-regulatory PEGI code of conduct requires that:
- Games that include in-game purchases must display PEGI’s in-game purchases icon at the point of purchase to support consumers in making an informed decision.
- Games that offer purchasable in-game currency must ensure that the real-world monetary cost of such in-game currency is clear and unambiguous to consumers at the point of purchase.
- Games that include purchasable in-game content must ensure that players/account holders always receive a receipt or invoice in their account when making purchases with real money.
Furthermore, there is well-established best practice for using in-game currencies based on the strict European regulatory framework. The most important principle is to maintain a separation between a commercial transaction in which real money is exchanged for in-game content and using that content to interact with the game itself. Thus the use of in-game currencies is not a commercial transaction or purchase, it is the use of in-game content.
For more information, please visit: https://www.egdf.eu/documentation/7-balanced-protection-of-vulnerable-players/consumer-protection/in-game-currencies-2023/