Europe is about to get very tough on loot boxes in games, according to a leaked draft of the landmark Digital Fairness Act

A leaked draft of the European Union’s proposed Digital Fairness Act recommends stronger controls on game monetisation, including turning off loot boxes and in-game purchases by default for minors. The proposals matter because they could change how games present purchases and rewards, while extending consumer protections to digital services more broadly.

The draft also calls for clearer disclosure of virtual currency prices and loot box odds, and says all players should be able to disable offers tied to loot boxes or gambling mechanics. Pay-to-progress and pay-to-win systems would be restricted for minors, alongside controls on attention-grabbing features. The proposal is not law; the article says it could be adopted in late 2027 and applied more broadly by 2030. It also addresses influencer marketing, pricing practices and “dark patterns”, against a backdrop of PEGI changes to ratings for heavily monetised games.