Tip: check this before your kid buys anything in a game

Before your child taps "buy" inside a game, run this two-minute check together. It will save you money, arguments, and the nasty surprise of a bank statement full of small charges you never agreed to.

First, ask: what exactly are they buying? If the answer is "I don't know, it's a surprise," you have found a loot box. A loot box is a digital container that opens to a random reward, and you pay before you know what you get. That random reveal is the hook, and it is why researchers link loot-box spending to gambling-style habits, as the Gambling Commission's advice explains. If your child cannot tell you what they will receive, the purchase is not ready yet.

Second, ask: is real money involved, even indirectly? Games hide real money behind coins, gems and bundles. Convert it together: "This pack costs 800 gems, and 800 gems cost this much real money." Children find it genuinely difficult to track spending when money is disguised this way, according to the Loughborough University report. Seeing the real price changes the decision.

Third, ask: who controls the payment method? If your card is saved on the device with no password, your child can buy by accident in two taps. Turn on a purchase password, or remove the card and use gift cards with a fixed amount instead. The UK NHS guide for families recommends exactly this: password-protect accounts and keep credit cards off the child's device.

Fourth, use the waiting rule. Agree that no in-game purchase happens on the day it is wanted. If your child still wants it in a week, it was a real choice, not an impulse driven by a flashing "limited time" timer. Most of the time, they will have forgotten it, and you will both be glad you waited.

Finally, check the label. Games that sell randomised items should carry the warning "In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)," although researchers found the label is not always applied consistently, as documented by the IT University of Copenhagen study. The label is a warning, not a lock. Your password and your budget are the lock.

Two minutes, five questions, no surprises. Make it the routine before every purchase, and gaming stays what it should be: fun, not a bill.