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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!

av advertising

BetVictor rolls out new brand campaign with biggest AV spend to date

Published

2 hours ago

April 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

BVGroup’s flagship brand BetVictor has launched a new brand campaign, “For All Your Favourite Things”, backed by what the company said is its largest AV investment to date.

The campaign, created by Barn Door Studios, uses a rewrite of “My Favourite Things” from The Sound of Music over visuals of sporting events. BetVictor said the creative focuses on “the uncomplicated thrill of sport and betting”.

BetVictor is timing the launch around this weekend’s Premier League schedule, with spots running alongside Arsenal vs Newcastle on Saturday evening and Chelsea vs Leeds on Sunday afternoon.

Media planning is led by Bountiful Cow. The plan includes a new partnership with Sky, spanning live sport integrations, on-demand, YouTube channels and targeted digital placements via Sky Advance. BetVictor also outlined a data-led SVOD and BVOD strategy across ITVX, Channel 4, Prime Video and Netflix, plus digital and social.

Richard Walters, Director of Brand and Creative at BetVictor, said:

“‘For All Your Favourite Things’ captures what BetVictor stands for today – a premium, straightforward experience that enhances the thrill of sport.

When done right, we believe that gambling is a simple pleasure; one that we love connecting our customers to. We wanted to celebrate the moments that matter most to sports fans.”

The post BetVictor rolls out new brand campaign with biggest AV spend to date appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Africa

QTech Games wins Leader in Online Casino at SBEA+ Eventus Awards 2026

Published

3 hours ago

April 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

qtech-games-wins-leader-in-online-casino-at-sbea+-eventus-awards-2026

QTech Games has won the Leader in Online Casino award at the Annual Sports Betting East Africa (SBEA+) 2026 Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.

The company said it beat other shortlisted suppliers including SA Gaming, BetConstruct, and DST Gaming. The award is described by the event as recognising the “top all-round online casino platform for innovation, user engagement, and sustained growth” over the past year.

The SBEA+ Eventus Awards focus on the East African igaming and sports betting sector and were presented at a gala ceremony at the Argyle Grand Hotel. QTech Games said the judging period covered 2025/26 and that its aggregation platform performance was ranked highest by the panel.

QTech Games CEO Philip Doftvik said: “We’re thrilled to have walked off with another notable award for the best overall online-casino-platform provision in East Africa. Being shortlisted in such good company was already a result, but victory provides the real validation, particularly after running a great campaign at recent Eventus events in Africa. We’ve been promoting QTech Hybrid, our breakthrough retail solution, to great effect and it’s been fantastic to see that going live with a handful of top-tier clients on this continent has led to such overwhelmingly positive feedback and immediate success cases in the realm of genuine innovation.

“This win is testimony to our diligent team at QTech Games, and to the constantly growing group of innovative suppliers that our platform represents. It’s a truly collaborative effort. We remain committed to rolling out high-quality content that drives revenue for our worldwide partners across Africa and beyond. After all, in today’s marketplace, only premium games of the highest standard will separate you from the crowd, so we were delighted to see the panel acknowledge how our premier platform is delivering across Africa’s eclectic ecosystem. We’ve made our name as the pre-eminent aggregator in these evolving margin markets, delivering localised games that speak to a host of player proclivities. This award win will spur us on to new horizons.”

The post QTech Games wins Leader in Online Casino at SBEA+ Eventus Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Brazil

Evoplay adds 24 slot titles to Oleybet in Brazil deal

Published

3 hours ago

April 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

evoplay-adds-24-slot-titles-to-oleybet-in-brazil-deal

Evoplay has signed a content partnership with Brazilian operator Oleybet to distribute 24 slot titles on the brand’s online casino in Brazil’s regulated market.

Oleybet is operated by Lindau Gaming S.A. in Brazil and offers sportsbook, online casino and live casino products. The rollout focuses on Evoplay’s slot portfolio, with the supplier saying the content is intended to support Oleybet’s casino expansion.

The integration is delivered through Sportingtech’s platform, which the companies said is intended to support a streamlined rollout and operational efficiency as Oleybet scales its games catalogue.

Alex Malchenko, Head of Sales at Evoplay, said: “Brazil remains a key focus for Evoplay, and partnering with Oleybet is another key strategic move in strengthening our presence in this dynamic market.

“Our portfolio is designed to deliver strong engagement across diverse player demographics, and we’re confident our games will resonate well with Oleybet’s audience as they continue to grow their offering.”

Robson Salvador, Ombudsman Director at Lindau, added: “We are very pleased to partner with Evoplay, a provider known for innovation and high-quality gaming experiences.

“This collaboration reinforces Oleybet’s commitment to offering a diverse and engaging portfolio to Brazilian players, always aligned with the highest standards of compliance and responsible gaming. We see this partnership as an important step in strengthening our positioning in Brazil’s regulated market.”

The post Evoplay adds 24 slot titles to Oleybet in Brazil deal appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.