Latest News

3 in 10 Brits Have Skipped a Shower or a Meal to Play Video Games in Lockdown

Published

5 years ago

January 26, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

More Brits than ever played video games last year to beat the boredom of staying home, and our third lockdown in 2021 has seen the trend gain even more traction. With games being released on more platforms, and more genres than ever now is an excellent time to be a gamer!

Fresh Student Living took a deep dive into the gaming industry in the UK to see just what an impact Covid has had on gaming.

More than four in ten UK gamers say they’ve been gaming more during the COVID-19 outbreak (43%). Plus, UK gamers now make up over two thirds of the population (67%); six in ten of this group say they play mobile games (52%); a quarter PC games (25%); and three in ten console games (28%).

When the pandemic first put a stop to everyday life, the gaming world expanded with regular players putting in even more time, and new people joining the trend to connect with friends, kill time and indulge in much-needed escapism. As more people picked up controllers, the UK gaming population exploded by a whopping 63%! People reported feeling happier and calmer, with a higher sense of freedom, thanks to how immersive the best video games are.

The Average Gamer Spent the Equivalent of 39 Days Playing Last Year

Games like FIFA 21, Call of Duty, Animal Crossing and Last of Us were some of the most played games of 2020, with 3 in 10 people skipping showers and meals to play uninterrupted. Almost 6 in 10 Brits also admit to losing sleep due to gaming sessions.

Pre lockdown, the average gamer spent around 13 hours a week playing their favourites. This increased by 5 hours during lockdown with Brits spending 18 hours or more exploring new worlds online – that’s equivalent to 39 whole days spent gaming!

The average gamer usually sets aside a conservative 1-3 hours to play, but in the UK, at least 3% of the population confesses to playing for 15 hours or more in one sitting.

What Video Games is Everyone Playing?

Most Played Video Games of 2020 According to Units Sold

FIFA 21 dominated in 2020 as one of the most anticipated games in the UK, with around 14 games selling per second in the UK last year.

FIFA 21 (2.18 million)
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (1.4 million)
Grand Theft Auto 5 (1.1 million)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (800,000)
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (660,000)
The Last of Us Part II (530,000)
NBA 2K20 (480,000)
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (430,000)

More Brits Are Hooked on Video Games

Lockdown has given us all more time to kill, and today the split between male and female video gamers is strictly 50-50. In the UK, 54% of men and women play a game most days, lowering stress and connecting with others being two of the primary motivators.

Multiplayer Games Keep us Connected

With time to kill and social distancing in effect for most of last year, multiplayer games’ popularity soared as more people jumped online to chat and connect. Even ex-gamers again picked up their controllers to join online communities playing games like Call of Duty, Animal Crossing or Fortnite.

Unsurprisingly, lockdown saw most Brits opt for action-packed and interactive genres, with most gamers choosing fighting, action and huge multiplayer Battle Royale games with lots of other players!

Most played genres in 2020

Fighting – 81%
Action – 79%
Massively multiplayer online games – 78%
Multiplayer online battle arena games – 75%

The Rise of Covideogamers in 2021

Lockdown has massively changed the gaming community across the world. In the UK, younger gamers spend loads of time playing while self-isolating and spend around two hours a month watching other people play online – a pastime that has increased since lockdown began.

The pandemic has also created a whole new subgenre of gamers known as Covideogamers, who exclusively started gaming during lockdown. Compared to 36% of existing gamers between the ages of 18 – 34, Covideogamers now make up 46% of the population in the same age group – 35% of these new gamers have also admitted it’s so relaxing and stress-relieving, they’re going to start playing more, long after lockdown ends!

Belgium

EveryMatrix to replace Betcenter Belgium sportsbook platform in omnichannel deal

Published

25 minutes ago

July 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

everymatrix-to-replace-betcenter-belgium-sportsbook-platform-in-omnichannel-deal

Merkur Group-owned operator will migrate retail and online sports betting across 50+ shops and hundreds of terminals onto EveryMatrix’s full stack.

EveryMatrix has agreed an omnichannel partnership with Betcenter Belgium to power the operator’s sports betting platform, replacing an in-house legacy setup with EveryMatrix’s full technology stack.

Under the deal, EveryMatrix will migrate Betcenter’s customer activities and operations and deliver sportsbook services across both retail and online channels. Betcenter operates online and in more than 50 retail betting shops, with 600 Self Service Betting Terminals (SSBTs) and 300 SSBT-light units, according to the companies.

The agreement extends EveryMatrix’s relationship with Betcenter owner Merkur Group, following a March announcement that EveryMatrix would power Merkur’s Cashpoint brand in Denmark for online sports and casino and more than 1,000 sports betting terminals in 230 shops.

Ebbe Groes, Group Co-CEO & Co-Founder, EveryMatrix, said: “To be able to extend our partnership with Merkur Group in Belgium so soon after agreeing to work with its Cashpoint brand in Denmark is something you rarely see in our industry.

“There has been, and continues to, be an enormous amount of hard work put into both making and delivering these deals on both sides so I’d like to thank the Merkur Group and my own internal EveryMatrix teams for making this a reality.”

Mathias Dahms, Managing Director of the Sports Betting Division, Merkur Group, said: “We have learned to regard EveryMatrix as a reliable and competent partner and look forward to taking the next step with them on this challenging project in Belgium.

“Through this partnership, we will consolidate our market-leading position in Belgium and further expand it with new products.”

The post EveryMatrix to replace Betcenter Belgium sportsbook platform in omnichannel deal appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Blueprint Gaming

Blueprint Gaming rolls out Rapid Fire Jackpots to NetBet UK

Published

1 hour ago

July 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

blueprint-gaming-rolls-out-rapid-fire-jackpots-to-netbet-uk

The expanded integration will bring Blueprint’s full Rapid Fire Jackpots portfolio into NetBet’s casino lobby over time.

Blueprint Gaming has expanded its partnership with UK-facing operator NetBet by rolling out its Rapid Fire Jackpots progressive jackpot content to the operator’s casino lobby.

The companies first partnered in 2025, with NetBet already offering Blueprint releases including Fishin’ Frenzy Lure ‘Em In, Eye of Horus and King Kong Cash. NetBet has also run a selection of Rapid Fire Jackpots titles, including Fishin’ Frenzy Big Catch 3, The Goonies Quest for Treasure 2 and Fishin’ Frenzy Even Bigger Fish 2.

Under the extended collaboration, Blueprint said the entire Rapid Fire Jackpots portfolio will be integrated into NetBet’s casino lobby over time, starting with an initial batch of titles now made available to NetBet players.

Rapid Fire Jackpots launched in June 2024 and is positioned by Blueprint as a complementary mechanic to its Jackpot King product, designed to deliver more frequent jackpot wins. Jack Lawson, Senior Account Manager at Blueprint Gaming, said: “Rapid Fire Jackpots has added a new dimension to our portfolio since launch, giving players access to more frequent jackpot drops alongside the premium gameplay experiences our content is known for.

“Expanding the rollout of the mechanic with NetBet allows us to build on the strong momentum already generated through our partnership, while further cementing our position as a leading supplier in the UK market.” Claudia Georgevici, PR Manager at NetBet Casino, said: “Blueprint Gaming’s titles have proven to be a strong addition to our casino lobby over the past year, and the integration of Rapid Fire Jackpots is set to further boost that offering.

“The mechanic’s combination of achievable, frequent jackpot wins and engaging gameplay delivers exactly the type of experience that resonates with our players, making it a valuable addition to our growing content selection.”

The post Blueprint Gaming rolls out Rapid Fire Jackpots to NetBet UK appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Anthony Dalla-Giacoma Chief Commercial Officer at Swintt

Swintt launches Elysium Studios slots on Kaizen Gaming’s Stoiximan.gr

Published

2 hours ago

July 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

swintt-launches-elysium-studios-slots-on-kaizen-gaming’s-stoiximan.gr

15 titles are live in Greece, with more Elysium Studios releases scheduled to follow.

Swintt has rolled out a selection of Elysium Studios slot content on Stoiximan.gr, expanding its distribution in Greece through a partnership with Kaizen Gaming.

The supplier said 15 titles are already live on the Stoiximan platform. Games named in the announcement include I Hate Fairytales and Law of Gilgamesh, with additional Elysium Studios releases due to be added later.

Anthony Dalla-Giacoma, Chief Commercial Officer at Swintt, said: “We’re delighted to see our games go live with another brand in the Kaizen Gaming portfolio, especially as this latest launch takes us to Greece, where Stoiximan.gr is widely recognised as a market leader.

“With its strong reputation and extensive player base, Stoiximan.gr is the perfect platform for us to introduce more Greek players to Elysium Studios content. With 15 titles already live and more to come, we’re confident our games will add real value to the operator’s casino offering and help drive strong engagement among its players.”

The post Swintt launches Elysium Studios slots on Kaizen Gaming’s Stoiximan.gr appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.