The National Consumer Protection Authority of Hungary (NKFH), in cooperation with government offices under its supervision, has begun a nationwide investigation into video games with the aim of monitoring them from a consumer protection perspective. The authority announced the move on Monday, noting that the review focuses in particular on unfair commercial practices that may affect children and young players.
The initiative builds on a major international campaign carried out earlier this year. During that investigation, consumer protection authorities from 22 countries examined 439 mobile and online games and found manipulative features in nearly every case. These included mechanisms designed to push players into spending money, such as loot boxes, which function similarly to gambling and may increase the risk of addiction, and virtual currencies with opaque exchange systems that make spending difficult to track. Many games also relied on limited-time offers, high-pressure promotions, and pay-to-win models that require players to purchase content in order to progress.
Hungarian inspectors will also check whether publishers and developers are complying with the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) age-rating system, or if absent, whether they visibly display the warning ‘Not recommended for under-18s’ on packaging.
The NKFH underlined the broader context, pointing out that the global video game market reached 184 billion dollars in 2024 and continues to grow. With this expansion, ‘freemium’ models, in which free-to-play games sell additional paid content, have become increasingly widespread. While not illegal in itself, this business model raises concerns when paid features become essential to maintaining progress or when games use addictive mechanics to encourage purchases.
The authority stressed that its ultimate goal is to provide clearer, more transparent information about in-game purchasing systems for consumers, especially parents and young players, helping to foster safer and more conscious gaming habits across all age groups.
Related articles:
