EU Digital Fairness Act proposal targets game monetization practices

The European Commission has adopted a proposal for a Digital Fairness Act that would introduce new rules for paid random rewards, virtual currencies and pay-to-win mechanics. If passed, the proposal would require companies to disclose the odds behind paid random rewards and give players a way to disable them. Games directed at minors, or known to be used by minors, would face stricter limits.

The proposal is not yet law. Adopted by the Commission on November 11, it must still be considered by the European Parliament and the Council before any rules take effect. Its gaming provisions sit within a broader consumer-protection package covering online design, pricing, subscriptions and marketing.

Paid random rewards would need clearer odds

The proposal calls loot boxes and similar purchases “variable reward systems.” Companies offering paid versions would have to tell consumers what items are available and the probability of obtaining them. They would also need to provide an accessible way to disable paid random rewards.

The rules would apply to consumers generally, not only children. For minors, the proposal goes further: games aimed at minors, or known with reasonable certainty to be used by them, could not offer paid variable rewards. That is a proposed restriction on sales to minors, not a blanket ban on loot boxes for all players.

Virtual currency would be tied to real-world prices

Games that sell virtual currency would have to show the corresponding monetary value of items purchased with it. The aim is to make the cost of an in-game item clearer when players first buy tokens or points and then spend them in a separate transaction.

For minors, paid virtual currencies would be disabled by default in covered products. A parent or guardian would need to approve activating them. This would not remove virtual currencies from games altogether, but it would change how they are displayed and accessed for younger players.

Pay-to-win rules focus on younger players

The proposal would prohibit pay-to-progress and pay-to-win purchases for minors. The Commission describes these as purchases presented as necessary to progress or succeed, including cases where artificial difficulty or slow progression makes the unpaid route feel effectively unusable.

The exact effect would depend on how the final law defines those systems and how regulators apply it. It would be misleading to say the proposal bans all paid progression or competitive advantages in every game. Its stated prohibition is focused on minors and games directed at, or known to be used by, them.

The broader bill covers online design too

The Digital Fairness Act is not limited to games. The Commission also proposes rules addressing manipulative interface design, addictive features, unfair personalized pricing, influencer marketing and online subscriptions that are difficult to cancel.

Some design provisions could affect games that rely on persistent prompts or other features intended to encourage excessive use or spending. The proposal would require certain users to be able to disable specified features in some circumstances. How those rules might apply to a particular game will depend on the final wording and its enforcement.

Lawmakers still have to negotiate the text

The Commission’s adoption begins the legislative process rather than completing it. The European Parliament and Council can debate and amend the proposal, and the final rules may differ from the current draft. No enforcement date has been set.

For game publishers, the proposal signals that EU regulators are considering consumer rules aimed directly at common monetization systems. For players, the practical changes remain conditional: odds disclosures, disabling paid random rewards and restrictions for minors would only become obligations if the bill is adopted in its final form.