Latest News
3 in 10 Brits Have Skipped a Shower or a Meal to Play Video Games in Lockdown
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!
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Betandyou
Betandyou shortlisted for three international awards
Despite the cold winter, the iGaming industry is entering its hottest season — awards season. This is the time when international experts evaluate the most innovative products, technologies, and services, highlighting the companies that set the standards for the year ahead. This season, Betandyou is kicking off with a strong start, making it onto the shortlist of several prestigious international awards.
Betandyou has been named a finalist at the European iGaming Awards in the category Sports Betting Platform of the Year, which recognizes brands delivering exceptional innovation, operational excellence, and user experience. At the same time, the brand has been shortlisted in the same category at the International Gaming Awards, one of the most influential global iGaming awards, where judging focuses on technology, UX, responsible gaming, and platform reliability.
Additionally, Betandyou has made it to the finals of the LCB Awards, earning recognition in three separate categories. This award is particularly meaningful because it combines expert evaluation with feedback from the real user community, reflecting both industry acknowledgment and players’ trust.
The Betandyou team commented on these nominations:
“This is an important milestone for us and a sign that our approach to product and service resonates with both the professional community and our users. We are grateful to the experts, partners, and players for their trust. Being shortlisted is already an achievement, and the wins are just the next step.”.
The team would like to thank partners, industry experts, and users for their support and high evaluation of the project. Awards season is just beginning, but Betandyou is already gaining international recognition as a strong player in the sports betting market.
Betandyou is a next-generation sports betting platform offering a seamless and secure experience for players worldwide. With a focus on innovation, fast payouts, and user-friendly design, Betandyou continues to set new standards for the online betting industry.
The post Betandyou shortlisted for three international awards appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
Latest News
Betandyou shortlisted for three international awards
Despite the cold winter, the iGaming industry is entering its hottest season — awards season. This is the time when international experts evaluate the most innovative products, technologies, and services, highlighting the companies that set the standards for the year ahead. This season, Betandyou is kicking off with a strong start, making it onto the shortlist of several prestigious international awards.
Betandyou has been named a finalist at the European iGaming Awards in the category Sports Betting Platform of the Year, which recognizes brands delivering exceptional innovation, operational excellence, and user experience. At the same time, the brand has been shortlisted in the same category at the International Gaming Awards, one of the most influential global iGaming awards, where judging focuses on technology, UX, responsible gaming, and platform reliability.
Additionally, Betandyou has made it to the finals of the LCB Awards, earning recognition in three separate categories. This award is particularly meaningful because it combines expert evaluation with feedback from the real user community, reflecting both industry acknowledgment and players’ trust.
The Betandyou team commented on these nominations:
“This is an important milestone for us and a sign that our approach to product and service resonates with both the professional community and our users. We are grateful to the experts, partners, and players for their trust. Being shortlisted is already an achievement, and the wins are just the next step.”.
The team would like to thank partners, industry experts, and users for their support and high evaluation of the project. Awards season is just beginning, but Betandyou is already gaining international recognition as a strong player in the sports betting market.
Betandyou is a next-generation sports betting platform offering a seamless and secure experience for players worldwide. With a focus on innovation, fast payouts, and user-friendly design, Betandyou continues to set new standards for the online betting industry.
2025 BGA State of the Industry Report
MENA Emerges as Global Growth Engine for Blockchain Gaming, BGA 2025 Report Finds
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has emerged as the fastest-rising region in blockchain gaming, now representing nearly one-fifth of all industry professionals surveyed by the Blockchain Game Alliance (BGA), according to the newly released 2025 BGA State of the Industry Report.
The findings were unveiled on stage at the Global Blockchain Show Abu Dhabi 2025 by Sebastien Borget, Co-President of the BGA and Co-Founder of The Sandbox, during a panel discussion titled ‘Web3 Gaming’s Big Bet’ with Yat Siu, Chairman of Animoca Brands, and Cathy Hackl, CEO of Future Dynamics, moderated by Wissam Younane, CEO, Entrepreneur Middle East.
“Sharing this year’s BGA State of the Industry Report in Abu Dhabi shows the promise and huge potential of blockchain gaming’s next phase, and MENA’s rapid growth is a big signal that new regions around the world are stepping into leadership roles,” said Borget. “What we’re seeing in the data is an industry becoming more global, more disciplined, and more focused on building great games for real players.”
MENA’s representation has surged from virtually no presence in the survey sample just five years ago — under 1% in 2021 — to 19.8% of respondents in 2025, marking the most pronounced regional shift since the survey began. When combined with Africa’s steady growth, rising from 0.5% in 2021 to 5.5% in 2025, the two regions now account for more than a quarter of all global responses to the survey.
This momentum reflects a broader realignment in the gaming and technology landscape. MENA has become one of the world’s fastest-growing gaming markets, underpinned by a youthful, digitally-native population and extensive government investment into gaming, esports, and digital infrastructure. As global capital increasingly flows into the region through strategic acquisitions, large-scale development initiatives, and major esports events, blockchain gaming’s rising professional footprint signals that MENA is actively shaping the future of the sector.
The BGA’s growth across MENA and Africa has been strongly attributed to the leadership and regional advocacy of Yasmina Kazitani, who was elected by the BGA membership as the organization’s first female Co-President in March 2025.
An Algerian-born ecosystem builder with deep ties across both regions, Kazitani has focused on community partnerships and grassroots outreach in emerging markets, broadening participation while championing access for previously underrepresented groups. She is also a long-standing advocate for gender diversity and inclusion as Co-Founder of the Women in Web3 Alliance, working to reduce barriers to entry and elevate female leadership within the industry.
“The survey results reflect what we see on the ground: new communities with new talent and stewardship,” said Kazitani. “With more voices entering the conversation, we are reminded that diverse representation is essential because this is what influences the ideas, products, and priorities that will define our industry’s next phase. A broader range of perspectives strengthens decision-making, contributes to a more resilient ecosystem, and ultimately underpins a global industry that better reflects its players and creates games that resonate across cultures.”
This increasing focus on diversity and broader participation was reflected directly in the survey methodology itself. For the first time, the BGA survey was offered in multiple languages beyond English, resulting in nearly a quarter of responses being submitted in other languages including French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese, with the majority received in Arabic. This expansion has provided a more accurate picture of industry participation while lowering barriers to inclusion in non-English-speaking markets.
Beyond its geographic findings, the report provides a comprehensive snapshot of a maturing industry navigating a challenging market environment. Respondents highlight rising confidence in regulatory clarity as a key driver of growth, alongside an increasing focus on high-quality game development and sustainable business models. At the same time, industry professionals identify scams and fraud as the greatest threats to credibility, funding scarcity as the most pressing operational constraint, and AI-enabled exploitation as a growing concern.
Key takeaways from the BGA 2025 State of the Industry Report are highlighted below:
Respondent Demographics
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19.8% of respondents come from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), up from under 1% in 2021.
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22.7% female participation marks the highest level recorded in the survey’s history.
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32.6% of respondents work in studios or publishing, dominating industry representation.
Industry Drivers
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64.4% expect policy and regulation to have a positive impact on industry development.
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29.5% cite high-quality game launches as the primary driver of future industry success.
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27.5% point to sustainable, revenue-driven business models as a key growth factor.
Industry Challenges
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36.0% view scams and fraud as the greatest threat to industry credibility.
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32.6% report lack of funding or investment as their company’s biggest operational challenge.
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38.9% fear AI-enabled cheating, bots, and exploits as the largest risk of AI adoption.
The post MENA Emerges as Global Growth Engine for Blockchain Gaming, BGA 2025 Report Finds appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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