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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!

Affiliate Succes

SpinsFriends selects NetRefer to run affiliate marketing programme

Published

31 minutes ago

April 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

spinsfriends-selects-netrefer-to-run-affiliate-marketing-programme

BALTENT’s slots-focused brand says the platform will support tracking, reporting and scalable partner management in regulated European markets.

Slots-focused online casino brand SpinsFriends has partnered with NetRefer to power and manage its affiliate programme as it expands across regulated European markets.

SpinsFriends is operated by BALTENT and runs two brands, Spins and Aladins. The company said it chose NetRefer in part because the platform already had an integration with its platform provider, enabling faster setup.

Artūrs Sarma, CEO and Founder at BALTENT, said, “NetRefer already had an existing integration with our platform provider, which made the decision straightforward and allowed us to move quickly with the setup. As we scale, having clear reporting and flexible commission structures is important, and the platform gives us the tools to manage our affiliate programme in a structured and efficient way. The onboarding process was well supported, and the team guided us through each step, which made the overall experience smooth.”

NetRefer said the deployment includes its Data Ingestion API for structured data transfer and real-time visibility into affiliate activity, alongside reporting tools such as BI Analytics and Report Builder. The vendor also highlighted NetRefer CoPilot AI for performance insights and “Enhanced Tracking,” which it said combines bot detection and user agent details.

Yuliia Borshch, NetRefer’s dedicated Account Manager for SpinsFriends, said, “SpinsFriends is a brand with a clear focus on building a structured and scalable affiliate programme, and we’re pleased to support that with technology designed to deliver both clarity and flexibility. Our platform provides the tools needed to manage performance with confidence, maintain transparency across its affiliate programme, and adapt as requirements evolve. We look forward to working closely with their team as they continue to grow.”

The post SpinsFriends selects NetRefer to run affiliate marketing programme appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Latest News

ACR POKER’S BLAZING HIGH FIVE TOURNAMENT SERIES RETURNS WITH $4 MILLION GUARANTEED THIS APRIL

Published

11 hours ago

April 14, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

acr-poker’s-blazing-high-five-tournament-series-returns-with-$4-million-guaranteed-this-april

New ‘Highest Five’ nosebleed events with buy-ins ranging from $5,200 to $25,500 mark the biggest stakes ever seen on ACR Poker

ACR Poker’s most lit week is back with the return of The High Five Tournament Series from April 19th to 23rd, bringing $4 Million GTD across 50 events. Each day brings a full slate of action, with 10 smoking tourneys firing daily including five high-stakes events featuring buy-ins of $44 and over and five low-stakes events with buy-ins of $33 and under.

And this year, the stakes are even higher with the new ‘Highest Five’ tourneys added on top. For the first time, ACR Poker is rolling out elite nosebleed tourneys designed for the game’s boldest players. Two nosebleed events will take place each day of the High Five Tournament Series with buy-ins from $5,200 to $25,500, marking the biggest stakes ever seen on ACR.

The High Five Tournament Series Main Event will take place on Monday, April 20th, featuring a $420 buy-in and a $200,000 GTD prize pool. The schedule also includes a special rebuy and add-on day on Monday, April 20th and a PLO day on Wednesday, April 22nd.

And the action doesn’t stop there. Players can blaze up the standings in the High Five Leaderboard Competition, where more than $25,000 in prizes are up for grabs, including $2,650 Venom seats, tourney tickets and The Golden Bong trophies. Simply by playing in High Five events, players will earn points towards either the High Leaderboard (buy-ins of $44 and over) or the Low Leaderboard (buy-ins of $33 or under).

The stakes are high and so are the names stepping in. ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker is locked in to play every Highest Five event, and so is CEO Phil Nagy. “The High Five Tournament Series has a fun vibe to it and I’m excited to be jumping into the new Highest Five tourneys,” said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker. “But what’s great about this series is that players of all bankrolls can get in on the action from small-stakes grinders to high-rollers. We’ll see you at the tables.”

For more information, visit ACRPoker.eu.

The post ACR POKER’S BLAZING HIGH FIVE TOURNAMENT SERIES RETURNS WITH $4 MILLION GUARANTEED THIS APRIL appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

ACR Poker

ACR Poker brings back High Five Series with $4m guaranteed in April Subheadline

Published

12 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

acr-poker-brings-back-high-five-series-with-$4m-guaranteed-in-april-subheadline

ACR Poker will run The High Five Tournament Series from April 19 to 23, 2026, with $4 million guaranteed across 50 tournaments, according to the operator.

The schedule lists 10 events per day, split between five higher buy-in tournaments ($44 and over) and five lower buy-in tournaments ($33 and under).

The operator is also adding new ‘Highest Five’ events—two per day—positioned as “nosebleed” tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $5,200 to $25,500. ACR Poker said these are the biggest stakes it has offered on the platform.

The series Main Event runs Monday, April 20, with a $420 buy-in and a $200,000 guaranteed prize pool. ACR Poker also flagged a rebuy and add-on day on April 20 and a dedicated PLO day on Wednesday, April 22.

A leaderboard promotion will award more than $25,000 in prizes, including $2,650 Venom seats, tournament tickets and “The Golden Bong” trophies. Points accrue via High Five events and are split into a High Leaderboard ($44 and over) and Low Leaderboard ($33 or under).

ACR Poker said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker and CEO Phil Nagy plan to play every Highest Five event. “The High Five Tournament Series has a fun vibe to it and I’m excited to be jumping into the new Highest Five tourneys,” said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker. “But what’s great about this series is that players of all bankrolls can get in on the action from small-stakes grinders to high-rollers. We’ll see you at the tables.”

The post ACR Poker brings back High Five Series with $4m guaranteed in April Subheadline appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.