Your kids may be treating video games like banks and playing with real money. The government has questions

A federal agency announced it’s monitoring video games that include in-app purchases, digital currencies and external marketplaces often used by children.

Games that include these features can effectively operate as banks of sorts but aren’t subject to the same types of regulations or protections, according to a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report released last week. The agency also questioned whether children or parents were aware of the vast amount of data gaming companies collect.

“For several years, the most popular video games have included immersive virtual worlds that offer the storage and exchange of valuable assets,” CFPB wrote. “Gaming companies have created digital marketplaces that facilitate the buying, selling, and trading of these assets with limited consumer protections, which has led to potentially harmful practices for players including financial losses due to theft and scams.”

For years, video gameslike the mega-hit “Fortnite” have allowed users to make microtransactions — small, optional fees players can pay to obtain items or …