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Revealed: worst areas in England for gamers during lockdown

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  • South West bottom of the pile for broadband speeds, with five of the ten areas where gamers are most likely to disrupt gameplay
  • Cities of London and Westminster the worst area for access to superfast broadband
  • Kingston Upon Hull ranks the highest for the best place to play video games online based on average speeds and availability of superfast broadband

New research from comparethemarket.com reveals the areas in England that are the worst for gamers, with gameplay in Central Devon the most likely to be disrupted due to poor broadband speeds.

The research analyses the average download speed (Mbps), superfast broadband availability and the percentage of households’ ability to receive decent broadband.

Gamers based in the South West score the least points when it comes to connection speed, with five out of the top ten worst hit areas in England. With Central Devon having the dubious distinction of being the worst in the country, Torridge and West Devon, Forest of Dean, Somerton and Frome, and Tiverton and Honiton all suffer disruption from poorer broadband speeds.

Some may be surprised to see the Cities of London and Westminster ranked the 10th worst constituency for gamers overall. When it comes to access to superfast broadband, this area takes the last place out of all areas, with a quarter unable to access the very fastest connection. By comparison, in Luton North and Leicester West, superfast broadband availability is 100%.

Kingston Upon Hull is hailed as the best place for gamers, ranking top in the country for average speeds and the availability of superfast broadband. Less than 2% of the area’s households have access to decent broadband. Other cities areas that rank highly for gamers include Grimsby, Gillingham and Rainham in the South East, and Nottingham North in the East Midlands.

Top 10 – England’s worst areas for gamers

 

Rank

Area Name  Region Average speed (MBPS) Superfast availability Unable to receive decent broadband
10 Cities of London and Westminster London 34.41 75% 0%
9 Somerton and Frome South West 42.75 82% 10%
8 Harwich and North Essex East of England 37.06 83% 9%
7 Tiverton and Honiton South West 31.89 81% 9%
6 North Herefordshire West Midlands 35.09 80% 9%
5 Penrith and The Border North West 36.01 81% 12%
4 Ludlow West Midlands 33.09 81% 11%
3 Forest of Dean South West 31.61 79% 10%
2 Torridge and West Devon South West 34.01 81% 12%
1 Central Devon South West 34.05 77% 12%

 

Top 10 – England’s best areas for gamers

 

Rank

Area Name  Region Average speed (MBPS) Superfast availability Unable to receive decent broadband
1 Kingston upon Hull East Yorkshire and The Humber 137.44 99% 1%
2 Kingston upon Hull North Yorkshire and The Humber 132.15 100% 1%
3 Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle Yorkshire and The Humber 122.24 99% 2%
4 Crawley South East 88.40 99% 0%
5 Filton and Bradley Stoke South West 93.49 98% 1%
6 Luton North East of England 84.10 100% 0%
7 Morecambe and Lunesdale North West 87.70 99% 0%
8 Great Grimsby Yorkshire and The Humber 89.56 98% 1%
9 Stevenage East of England 86.93 99% 0%
10 Gillingham and Rainham South East 86.61 99% 0%

 

Holly Niblett, head of digital at comparethemarket.com, commented:

“Lockdown has seen a surge in the number of people relying on the internet for work and leisure. There is a wide disparity in the connection speeds and access to superfast broadband across the country, with people facing a particularly hostile environment in parts of the south west. For many, a reliable internet connection is a lifeline during a difficult time.

“Our new speed-test tool allows people to see how fast their broadband speed is and what better deals and speed is available in their area, because for many households, a fast download speed is a deal-breaker when it comes to choosing a provider. Perhaps unsurprisingly, we have seen a steep rise in the number of customers switching online to the fastest packages during isolation.”

 

comparethemarket’s tips for improving your broadband speed:

1. Test the speed of your broadband connection

You can run a speed test on comparethemarket’s new speed-checker tool, which enables users to check how long it will take to download a film or game in their area: http://www.comparethemarket.com/broadband/speed-test You’ll be shown both your download and upload speeds.

2. Move your router away from other devices

Keep your router as far away as possible from other electrical equipment and devices that emit wireless signals, such as cordless phones, baby monitors and computer speakers. Try to place your router on a table or shelf rather than on the floor and keep it switched on.

3. Turn off WiFi on devices you’re not using

If you have multiple devices such as tablets and smartphones running in the background, it can slow down your broadband, so try switching WiFi off on these when you’re not using them. You should also avoid carrying out data-heavy tasks like HD streaming, gaming or video calls at the same time as others in your household.

4. Give your computer a spring clean

There are many applications on your PC that could affect your broadband speed, some without you even realising it. A few simple quick fixes include making sure your anti-virus software is up to date, making sure you’re using the latest version of your web browser, such as Chrome, Firefox or Microsoft Edge and clearing your cache and browser history.

For more information on the research, please go to: https://www.comparethemarket.com/broadband/content/best-cities-in-england-for-gamers/

 

Methodology:
The following table reveals the areas of England where gamers are most likely to disrupt gameplay due to bad broadband speeds.

Data taken directly from the source are in the columns titled Area name, Region, Average speed (MBPS), Superfast availability and unable to receive decent broadband.

To calculate the index we first normalised the data categories individually from 0 to 1 and then summed the results.

On this scale, for

  • Average speed – The higher index would be weighted closer to 1 – detailed in the average speed weighting column
  • Superfast availability – The higher index is weighted closer to 1 – detailed in the superfast weighting column
  • Unable to receive decent broadband – The higher index is weighted closer to 0 – detailed in the Decent broadband weighting column

Total and rankings were determined by the above.

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BOYLE Sports signs Mark Goldbridge for World Cup watchalong series

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BOYLE Sports has agreed a World Cup content partnership with football creator Mark Goldbridge, covering the tournament from 11 June to 19 July.

The operator said the deal includes 32 branded watchalongs across Goldbridge’s football channels, including The United Stand and That’s Football. The schedule covers every England World Cup fixture, Scotland’s group-stage matches, and selected other games, starting with the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa.

Alongside the live watchalongs, Goldbridge will produce preview content for England’s group games and a “Game Changers” social series highlighting five players ahead of each round. BOYLE Sports said product integrations will run throughout the campaign.

BOYLE Sports said the partnership follows a prior campaign during the Premier League season and was supported by media agency Miroma Founders Network. The operator also pointed to the recent appointment of Olivia Buzaglo as its football ambassador as part of its summer football content plans.

Commenting on the partnership, Gill Blake-Swift, Director of Brand at BOYLE Sports, said: “Mark Goldbridge represents everything we stand for as a brand – passion for sport, confidence in your opinions and a deep connection with fans. His ability to engage audiences in an authentic, entertaining way makes him the perfect partner for this summer’s World Cup as we continue to build our digital presence and bring fans closer to the moments that matter.”

Mark Goldbridge added: “The World Cup is the biggest stage in football and I’m delighted to be partnering with BOYLE Sports across the tournament. The watchalongs are all about bringing fans into the emotion of the game in real time, and this partnership enable us to do that across some of the biggest fixtures of the summer. From England games to the standout matches across the tournament, we’ll be giving fans reaction, opinion, debate and plenty of moments to get involved in.”

The post BOYLE Sports signs Mark Goldbridge for World Cup watchalong series appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Xsolla joins Gamesforum Hamburg 2026 with D2C commerce keynote and panel

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Xsolla will take part in Gamesforum Hamburg 2026 on June 9–10 at NORD EVENT Panoramadeck in Hamburg, Germany, with Jane Startseva, Vice President of Business Development, EMEA, scheduled for a keynote and a panel focused on direct-to-consumer (D2C) web shops and measurement.

On June 9 at 10:00 AM, Startseva is set to join Adam Smart, Global Director of Product – Gaming at AppsFlyer, for a 30-minute keynote titled “Web Shops and Attribution: Closing the Revenue Gap.” The session will focus on how developers track revenue performance for web shops and how attribution impacts user acquisition targets and growth planning, according to the company.

Later that day at 4:30 PM, Startseva will appear on a panel titled “The Belonging Economy: How Mobile Games Build Value Through Player Relationships” alongside Oliver Lindahl, Strategist & Behavioural Scientist at Sagely, and Pedro Alvin, Marketing Lead at Supercell. Xsolla said the discussion will cover player messaging, store optimization, new monetization opportunities, and trust in out-of-game purchase experiences.

“Being an Exclusive Global Partner of the Gamesforum series reflects how seriously Xsolla takes the European games market and the developers building here,” said Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing and Growth Officer at Xsolla. “The shift to direct-to-consumer commerce is one of the most important things happening in this industry. Showing up at events like Hamburg, with partners like AppsFlyer, is how we help the industry move the conversation forward and build D2C businesses on a foundation video game studios and developers can actually measure.”

The post Xsolla joins Gamesforum Hamburg 2026 with D2C commerce keynote and panel appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Spinmatic launches Elemental Fusion Deluxe with instant Plinko bonus triggers

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Spinmatic has launched Elemental Fusion Deluxe, a new slot built around instant access to its Plinko mechanic from the base game, the supplier said. The title was announced on 9 June 2026 from Malta.

Elemental Fusion Deluxe runs on a 5×3 layout with 25 fixed paylines. Spinmatic lists the game as medium-high volatility with a 96.04% RTP and 39.49% hit frequency.

The game’s feature set includes Gold Wilds, which can appear on any reel and substitute for standard symbols (excluding the Special Plinko Symbol and the Special Element Elixir Symbols). Spinmatic also says base gameplay uses “Instant Elixir Multipliers” linked to Fire, Earth, Water, Air, and Galaxy symbols.

Instead of an accumulator-style collection mechanic, the Plinko Feature Trigger activates when three dedicated trigger symbols land on reels 1, 3, and 5, launching a random Plinko bonus. Spinmatic says the Plinko bonus is split into four elemental modes after a selection wheel sets a starting pool of 10 to 100 balls: Water Plinko (low volatility, Mini Jackpot), Air Plinko (medium volatility, Midi Jackpot), Earth Plinko (high volatility, Maxi Jackpot), and Fire Plinko (very high volatility, Grand Jackpot), played on a 16-row pyramid.

The company framed the release around reducing time-to-feature: “In a market where a split-second delay can lose a player, the quality of your content delivery determines your bottom line.”

The post Spinmatic launches Elemental Fusion Deluxe with instant Plinko bonus triggers appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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