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!

Amigo Gaming

VeliGames adds 10 studios as content library tops 35,000 games

Published

29 minutes ago

April 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

veligames-adds-10-studios-as-content-library-tops-35,000-games

VeliTech’s aggregator names Amigo Gaming, Playnetic, FA CHAI Gaming and GameBeat among new partners.

VeliGames, the aggregation platform from VeliTech, has expanded its supplier roster with 10 additional content studios, the company said on 14 April 2026. The aggregator now offers “35,000+” games from “160+” suppliers via its Single API.

New providers now available through VeliGames are Amigo Gaming, Playnetic, FA CHAI Gaming, GameBeat, Ready Play Gaming, Slot Mart, Dynabit Gaming, EEAI, IMK 365 and Triple Cherry. VeliGames also distributes its exclusive in-house studios VeliPlay (crash and instant games) and Heaven of 7 (slots).

The company said the expansion is aimed at helping operators diversify and localise their game lobbies for emerging markets through a single integration. VeliGames said its catalogue spans slots, live casino, scratch cards, table and crash games, with tailoring for Asia, Africa and Latin America, including “regionally adjusted pricing” and back-office capabilities.

Irakli Kakhidze, CEO at VeliGames, said: “Our technology is shaped by real-world operator needs, and that’s why VeliGames is a plug-and-play solution that allows operators to access more than 35,000 titles from 160+ providers, plus market-ready customisation, and robust engagement and reporting tools.

“VeliGames has established itself as a partner that understands the business of gaming, not just the code, and these integrations are a testament to that.

“The Single API approach only delivers real value when it is built on battle-tested technology. That has made VeliGames the go-to choice for operators in high-growth markets across the world.”

Revaz Janelidze, Operations Lead at VeliGames, added: “At VeliGames, we live and breathe content, and that’s why we pull out all the stops to constantly bring remarkable providers to our platform.

“These are studios that are pushing boundaries to deliver never seen before themes, mechanics, bonuses and formats, and in doing so are tearing up the rulebook for iGaming content.

“We look forward to seeing our clients strengthen their casino lobbies with the likes of Amigo Gaming, Playnetic and others, while we’re already hard at work on the next round of integrations, so watch this space.”

The post VeliGames adds 10 studios as content library tops 35,000 games appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Broadcaster Video on Demand

Comparasino launches three-month ITVX BVOD ad campaign

Published

29 minutes ago

April 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

comparasino-launches-three-month-itvx-bvod-ad-campaign

Leeds-based casino comparison platform spotlights its Recommendation Engine and Member Zone in exclusive ITVX placement.

Comparasino has launched a three-month Broadcaster Video on Demand (BVOD) advertising campaign running exclusively on ITVX, starting Tuesday 14 April, 2026. The Leeds-based online casino comparison platform said the campaign will run across ITVX premium prime-time programming and hit shows.

Check out the ad here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqAM4KOi3UQ

The company said the creative focuses on its proprietary Recommendation Engine, positioning it as an alternative to static casino list formats. Comparasino said the tool asks users for preferences such as bonuses, payment methods and minimum deposits, then returns matches from UK Gambling Commission (UKGC)-licensed brands.

Comparasino also pointed to its free-to-join Member Zone, which allows users to save preferences and a list of matches. The company said the portal’s automation engine surfaces new matches in real time as additional casino partners are added, and that members can receive brand-launch news and profile-based bonus offers.

Martyn Hannah, Co-founder and CEO of Comparasino, said: “Advertising on ITVX is a transformative step for us. For too long, the online casino search process has been a ‘one size fits all’ experience. Our mission is to humanise that journey by putting the player’s specific needs first.

“By launching this three-month campaign on a platform as prestigious as ITVX, we’re not just building brand awareness, we are showing the UK public that there is a smarter, safer and more tailored way to play.”

Comparasino said all brands featured on its platform are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, positioning compliance and player protection as central to its UK-facing proposition.

The post Comparasino launches three-month ITVX BVOD ad campaign appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

blask

Blask data: lottery drives 78% of France’s gambling search demand

Published

29 minutes ago

April 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

blask-data:-lottery-drives-78%-of-france’s-gambling-search-demand

New category-level analysis breaks down non-branded iGaming demand by vertical across France, Brazil, India, Italy and Switzerland.

Blask says lottery-related queries account for around 78% of total gambling search demand in France, outweighing online casino (~10%) and live dealer, betting and poker (each ~4%). The company positions the data as evidence that sports betting is not the primary driver of gambling demand in every market.

Blask said the figures come from non-branded search data and are part of a new category-level analysis feature designed to break down demand across verticals and subcategories within each market. The tool is intended to help operators compare player intent across jurisdictions, including “lottery in France, football betting in Brazil, or culturally driven formats in India.”

Outside France, Blask’s data shows Brazil is more betting-led, with online betting at ~52% of demand, which the company attributes largely to football. Lottery represents ~25%, fantasy sports ~11%, while casino (~6%) and live dealer (~2%) remain smaller segments.

India is described as more evenly distributed, with lottery at ~35% and live dealer at ~29%, and online casino, betting and fantasy each at roughly 10%. In Europe, Italy’s demand is reported as seasonally influenced by football, with fantasy sports leading at ~37%, while Switzerland is presented as casino-first, with online casino at ~38%.

Across the markets analysed, Blask said two themes recur: older categories often remain the biggest, and regulation heavily shapes demand. Where certain verticals are restricted, the company said interest tends to shift into adjacent or offshore segments rather than disappearing.

The post Blask data: lottery drives 78% of France’s gambling search demand appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.