UK adopts PEGI rating system, can prosecute for underage sales

The UK now officially uses the PEGI system for rating video games, dropping its separate British Board of Film Classification ratings guide. This removes the voluntary dual-classification system previously in place, and makes the sale of games to underage customers illegal in a real way.

In the UK, retail workers can face prosecution for selling games with a PEGI rating of 12, 16 or 18 to underage customers, with a maximum sentence of six years. PEGI ratings include icons denoting bad language, discrimination, gambling, drugs, sex, violence, fear and online play. Those two may as well be one icon – the Internet is a terrifying place.