EU plan targets loot boxes, influencer ads

iGaming Business reported that the European Commission has proposed the Digital Fairness Act, an EU-wide regulation to tighten consumer-protection rules for digital products and marketing, including paid loot boxes and influencer promotion of gambling services across the European Union.

What happened

The Commission published a draft Regulation intended to replace the 2005 Unfair Commercial Practices Directive with directly applicable rules across the EU. A central plank, Article 15, targets paid “variable reward systems” that offer random rewards or variable odds and are acquired through money or paid-for virtual currency. The draft cites examples such as loot boxes, wheels of fortune and collectible card packs.

Under the proposal, traders that offer these features would need to disclose what items a paid offer can contain and the probability of receiving each item. The information must be clear, prominent and available before any spend. Traders would also be required to provide accessible tools allowing consumers to switch off paid variable reward systems altogether. The opt-out would be available to all users, not just children, though the draft does not prescribe a single technical solution.

Stronger protections are outlined for minors. Where products are directed at children, or where the trader knows with reasonable certainty the product is used by a child, paid variable reward systems could not be offered to those minors. The restrictions are scoped to randomised rewards purchased wholly or partly with money or paid-for virtual currency, rather than covering every random element in a game.

The proposal also addresses influencer marketing. The Commission’s recitals highlight concerns that children may see influencers as friends and may not recognise commercial intent, noting that some influencers promote products that could be harmful or unsuitable, including betting, lotteries, speculative instruments and other forms of gambling. The draft recalls that advertising for certain products is already subject to specific restrictions, particularly in relation to minors or specific actors.

Debate continues over whether loot boxes resemble gambling. Felix Hilgert, partner at Osborne Clarke and a video games and technology lawyer, told iGaming Business that the video games industry generally does not view loot boxes as equivalent to regulated gambling, pointing to the lack of cash-out and the fact that buyers “never ‘lose’ what you pay,” as the boxes typically contain items.

The legislative process is at an early stage. The proposal must be negotiated and adopted by the European Parliament and the Council before it can take effect. If passed in its current form, the Regulation would apply 12 months after entering into force.

The report also notes wider European concern about loot boxes. A Swedish survey focusing on 18–24-year-olds found a link between purchasing loot boxes as a minor and later problematic gambling behaviours; among those who started buying loot boxes before age 15, 87% displayed risky gambling behaviours as adults. In Denmark, a public awareness campaign launched this year to inform parents about gambling-like features in children’s video games. The Danish Gambling Authority’s director, Anders Dorph, stressed that beyond screen time, the content and reward mechanisms of games also matter.

Why it matters

• For EU markets, the draft would set consistent, directly applicable standards around disclosure of odds, visibility of item types and opt-out tools for paid random-reward features. This could reshape how games present and monetise variable rewards.
• The proposed ban on offering paid variable reward systems to minors in child-directed products—or where minors’ usage is reasonably certain—may prompt significant design and age-assurance changes in games with paid randomised rewards.
• Stricter expectations around influencer marketing of potentially harmful products, including gambling, could tighten how creators label and target content, especially where minors are likely to be exposed.
• For UK readers, while the proposal is EU-focused, large publishers, platforms and influencer networks often operate across borders. Changes of this kind could influence industry norms and consumer expectations that UK-facing businesses may consider, even where domestic rules differ.

If you want a refresher on how randomness works in gambling products, our guide to how slots work explains the role of RNGs and probability in simple terms. For safer play basics, see our responsible gambling hub.

What to watch

1. Legislative timeline: The proposal must be negotiated by the European Parliament and the Council. The scope, definitions and obligations could change during that process.
2. Implementation lead time: If adopted, the Regulation would apply 12 months after entering into force, giving traders a limited window to build disclosure and opt-out tools.
3. Age-related controls: How companies demonstrate “reasonable certainty” that a product is used by a minor may become a key compliance question for games with paid random-reward features.
4. Influencer compliance: Platforms, agencies and creators may tighten labelling, audience targeting and content policies where gambling and other higher-risk products are promoted to avoid exposing minors.
5. Market responses: Given the Swedish survey findings and Denmark’s awareness campaign cited in the report, further public information initiatives and product design changes may follow in EU states.

Further reading

• Responsible gambling: tools and tips
• How slots work: randomness explained
• [Common slot myths and realities](/guides/slot-myths)

Source

This article is based on the report "EU Digital Fairness Act would tighten rules on loot boxes and gambling influencer marketing" published by iGaming Business on 12 November 2026.

Staying in control

• Set a clear budget before you play and stick to it. Decide your time limit as well as your spend.
• Keep gambling separate from essential finances. If you’re using savings meant for bills or rent, take a break.
• Don’t chase losses. If it stops being fun, step away and consider using time-outs or self-exclusion tools.
• Use available safer gambling features such as deposit limits and reality checks.

Gambling is for adults aged 18 and over. Free, confidential support is available from the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.