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

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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.

  1. FIFA 21 (2.18 million)
  2. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (1.4 million)
  3. Grand Theft Auto 5 (1.1 million)
  4. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (800,000)
  5. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (660,000)
  6. The Last of Us Part II (530,000)
  7. NBA 2K20 (480,000)
  8. 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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AML

UK vs Germany AML Supervisory Architecture: A Structural Mapping for Group Operators

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Licensed online gambling groups operating in both the United Kingdom and Germany are subject to two distinct anti-money laundering (AML) supervisory architectures. The distinction is reflected in the allocation of statutory responsibility, the structure of reporting obligations, and the implementation of monitoring mechanisms under law.

This article presents a structural mapping of these frameworks based exclusively on statutory texts and official supervisory publications. No interpretive grading or comparative assessment is included.

Allocation of Supervisory Responsibility

In Great Britain, the Gambling Act 2005 designates the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) as the regulator of licensed gambling activities. Casino operators are classified as “relevant persons” under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (as amended). Accordingly, they are subject to AML obligations prescribed by law, including firm-wide risk assessment (Regulation 18), customer due diligence, enhanced due diligence where required, ongoing monitoring, and suspicious activity reporting pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Under the UK regulatory structure, AML monitoring and internal controls are implemented at operator level and supervised by the UKGC pursuant to its mandate, including licence conditions, compliance assessments, and published enforcement outcomes.

In Germany, the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag 2021 (GlüStV 2021) establishes the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) as the competent supervisory authority for licensed online gambling. In parallel, the Geldwäschegesetz (GwG) classifies operators of games of chance as obligated entities (Verpflichtete) and subjects them to AML requirements defined by statute, including institutional risk analysis, due diligence measures, ongoing monitoring, and suspicious transaction reporting to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU Germany).

Beyond the AML obligations under the GwG, GlüStV 2021 establishes centralized monitoring systems, including LUGAS (Länderübergreifendes Glücksspielaufsichtssystem) and OASIS (national self-exclusion system). Licensed operators are required to integrate with these systems in accordance with legal provisions.

The allocation of supervisory responsibility in each jurisdiction determines how AML controls are implemented and which authority reviews compliance.

Reporting Architecture

In the United Kingdom, suspicious activity reports (SARs) are submitted to the National Crime Agency (NCA) under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and associated regulations. The reporting obligation arises where an operator knows or suspects, or has reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting, that a person is engaged in money laundering, as defined by law.

Under German law, obligated entities must submit suspicious transaction reports to the Financial Intelligence Unit pursuant to the Geldwäschegesetz. The reporting obligation is triggered in accordance with the GwG.

For operators active in both jurisdictions, this results in reporting relationships with distinct competent authorities operating under separate legal mandates.

Group-Level Compliance Governance

For corporate groups holding licences in both jurisdictions, the allocation of AML responsibility differs in structure.

Within the UK system, AML supervision of licensed gambling operators is integrated into the mandate of the UK Gambling Commission, while suspicious activity reporting is directed to the National Crime Agency.

Within the German system, AML obligations arise under the Geldwäschegesetz, while gambling supervision is exercised by the GGL pursuant to GlüStV 2021, alongside the operation of centralized monitoring systems established by law.

Accordingly, compliance governance at group level must align with jurisdiction-specific legal structures. Internal control systems, documentation standards, reporting procedures, and monitoring integrations must reflect the supervisory architecture applicable to each licensed entity.

These structural distinctions do not alter the requirement to comply fully with the law in each jurisdiction. However, they determine how compliance responsibilities are distributed and supervised within a multi-license corporate structure.

Concluding Observation

A structural comparison of the United Kingdom and Germany confirms that AML supervision within the licensed online gambling sector is implemented through nationally defined legal and supervisory frameworks.

For multi-jurisdictional operators, effective compliance governance requires alignment with each jurisdiction’s defined legal structure rather than reliance on procedural uniformity across entities.

This mapping is derived exclusively from statutory texts and official supervisory publications. Detailed jurisdictional records are maintained within the GamingMarkets Regulatory Matrix.

 

Oren Dalal is the Founder & Publisher of GamingMarkets.com, an independent regulatory intelligence platform mapping statutory and supervisory frameworks across licensed online gambling jurisdictions. His work is grounded in primary-source legislative analysis, focusing on AML supervisory architecture and compliance governance in multi-jurisdictional groups.

The post UK vs Germany AML Supervisory Architecture: A Structural Mapping for Group Operators appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Conferences

EGT Digital Highlights Panda Ventura at SBC Summit Rio 2026

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EGT Digital will participate in SBC Summit Rio from 3–5 March in Rio de Janeiro at stand A570, where the spotlight will fall on Panda Ventura and the company’s modular iGaming ecosystem.

Panda Ventura – The First Chapter of a Growing Series

Panda Ventura has quickly become one of EGT Digital’s most warmly received titles, combining a charming character, distinctive visual identity, and performance-driven mechanics.

While its instantly recognizable panda creates an immediate emotional connection, the game’s real strength lies in its flow. Easy to understand from the first spin, Panda Ventura builds excitement naturally through well-timed features and rewarding peak moments. The pacing is smooth, intuitive, and carefully balanced – encouraging longer sessions and repeat play.

Building on its encouraging market reception, EGT Digital is expanding the concept into a broader Ventura series. As the first title in this universe, Panda Ventura lays the foundation for a character-led lineup that will continue with the upcoming Tiger Ventura, preserving the same engaging rhythm and recognizable identity.

With its approachable gameplay and strong commercial logic, the title shows significant potential across Brazil and the wider LATAM region.

A Complete Modular Ecosystem

Alongside Panda Ventura, EGT Digital will present a portfolio of over 180 in-house developed slot titles, including the proven jackpot series Bell Link, Clover Chance, and Gods & Kings Link.

All are supported by X-Nave – the company’s modular platform integrating Casino, Sportsbook, CRM, Payment Gateway, Bonus Hub, and a high-performance Aggregator, featuring over 20,000+ games from 200+ global providers.

Enhanced with proprietary AI, X-Nave personalizes player experiences and drives measurable engagement through automated tournaments, Gift Spins, and Buy Bonus competitions.

Land-Based Solutions on Display

Stand A570 will also feature EGT’s land-based solutions tailored for Brazil. Visitors will be able to explore the new Video Lottery Terminals Super Sorte 27/27 ST and Super Sorte 43V, as well as the betting terminals Top Estrela and Bar Estrela. All will run the GOLD VLT multigame with 49 titles designed for the local market.

At SBC Summit Rio, EGT Digital will demonstrate how compelling content and powerful technology combine to deliver stable, high-performance solutions for Brazil and the broader LATAM region – truly Designed to Perform.

The post EGT Digital Highlights Panda Ventura at SBC Summit Rio 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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Free Ticket Drops

GGPoker Brings Back WSOP Super Circuit with Record $180M Guarantee

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GGPoker, the world’s largest online poker platform, is set to host the highly anticipated 2026 WSOP Super Circuit online tournament series, running from March 1 to March 31.

This year’s edition features an unprecedented $180 million in guaranteed prizes, solidifying GGPoker’s reputation as the premier global poker destination.

Players will compete across 18 WSOP Gold Ring events, offering the chance to win one of poker’s most prestigious trophies and significant cash prizes.

Key Events & Highlights:

  • #5: $525 Mystery Millions [Final Stage] – March 9, $525 buy-in, $10M GTD ($1M Top Bounty)
  • #13: WSOP Super Circuit MAIN EVENT [Day 2] – March 23, $1,700 buy-in, $15M GTD
  • #18: GGMillion$ High Roller [Day 2] – March 30, $10K buy-in, $10M GTD

Exclusive Champion Perks
Winners of all 18 Gold Ring events receive:

  • A $5K WSOP Paradise package
  • Recognition on the official WSOP Rankings leaderboard

$3 Million in Free Ticket Drops
Participants in any WSOP Super Circuit event can win WSOP Express tickets, $5K Ring Passes, or $10K Bracelet Passes. Tickets will be awarded randomly throughout the series, totaling $3 million in free prizes.

Live Coverage
Final tables for the Main Event (#13) and High Roller (#18) will be streamed live on GGPoker.TV and YouTube, hosted by Jeff Gross, with commentary by Daniel Negreanu for the High Roller.

Player and Ambassador Excitement
Daniel Negreanu said: “The 2026 WSOP Super Circuit at GGPoker is absolutely massive. With $180M in total guarantees, including $15M Main Event and $10M Mystery Millions, it’s the perfect time to compete for record-breaking prizes.”

The post GGPoker Brings Back WSOP Super Circuit with Record $180M Guarantee appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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