According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA)’s new 2025 holiday survey, kids aren’t asking for toys this Christmas. Nearly three in five U.S. children want gaming-related gifts this holiday season. The single most requested item is in-game currency, with 43% of kids asking for it.
The survey is another sign of how gaming dominates Gen Alpha. If kids want virtual currency more than actual presents, what does that say about how well they understand money?
Kids want digital money, but do they understand the cost?
Most kids don’t understand real money because they don’t have access to it. In-game currency feels like it exists in a bubble. You buy it, you spend it, and nothing happens. Your wallet doesn’t get thinner. Your bank balance doesn’t drop in front of you. Even when they’re spending their parents’ money, it feels disconnected from the real world.
Yet, in-game currency isn’t free. It’s tied directly to real world spending. Kids convert cash into Robux, V Bucks, or whatever their favorite game uses. While the transaction ends there for them, their parents are footing the cost for digital items.
Game design makes this even more confusing. Kids can only buy currency in set bundles. These bundles rarely match up with the price of the items they want. So they get leftover currency. Leftover currency encourages them to spend more. Before they know it, they’ve blown through a gift card and are eyeing the next bundle.
Kids are being taught to purchase things they don’t own. They’re too naive to understand the consequences of their decisions. That loop creates spending habits that aren’t healthy for kids as they grow into adulthood.
The social aspect makes it worse
Cross-platform titles like Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft have changed how many kids socialize, especially boys ages 5 to 12. If their friends are customizing their characters or unlocking seasonal content, they want to keep up. In-game currency lets them do that.
When kids say they want virtual currency for Christmas, they want to keep their place in their social circles. For kids, all that spending is justified. It also makes it harder for them to recognize excess.
Parents are spending more than ever
On the other side of this, adults are bracing themselves. One third of U.S. adults plan to buy gaming products this holiday season. Parents expect to spend around $737 USD on average for their kids. Parents are budgeting for in-game currency the same way they used to budget for physical toys.
The twist is that many kids actually want to play more games with their parents. Over half of surveyed kids said so, especially those between ages 5 and 7. It’s not that kids want to disappear into screens. Gaming is where they connect, express themselves, and spend time together.
Are we teaching kids to spend responsibly or just enabling the habit?
If in-game currency is at the top of a kid’s wish list, then they need to be taught what digital currency really is. Otherwise, they’ll think digital money works differently from real money. That’s how bad spending habits start.
Parents need to set boundaries, talk openly about how real world money works. Kids need to treat in-game currency like any other purchase. If they’re not taught financial literacy early, they’ll burn through digital money with no understanding of its value. The worst thing is that they’ll carry that mindset as they age.
Kids wanting in-game currency isn’t a moral crisis, but it is a wake up call. This trend isn’t going away anytime soon. Parents need to start dishing out financial advice sooner than later. Kids might not think it’s a big deal, but the consequences are very real.
