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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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IBJR hails App Store approval as a milestone in the fight against illegal betting in Brazil

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The Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR) considers Apple’s decision to allow the distribution of regulated sports betting and online gaming applications on its Brazilian App Store a key milestone for the consolidation of a transparent and integrity-driven sector.

This measure strengthens regulation by making it easier for users to clearly identify operators that are duly authorized to operate in compliance with national rules.

Following Google’s decision, made less than a year ago, to authorize the distribution of sports betting apps on the Play Store in Brazil, this initiative acts as a powerful cybersecurity filter and helps protect consumers from the risks of the illegal market.

Since only operators licensed by the SPA are allowed to offer services to iOS users, the process of channeling traffic into the regulated environment is further strengthened.

However, for the measure to be fully effective, continuous enforcement is required, as several illegal apps can still be found on major platforms.

Data from Instituto Locomotiva, in partnership with LCA Consultoria, indicate that the illegal environment—much of it controlled by organized crime—moves around R$40 billion per year in Brazil and generates an estimated annual loss of R$10.8 billion in tax revenue.

In this context, actions that help distinguish legal operators from unauthorized ones are essential.

The presence of applications on both the Play Store and Apple Store reinforces the commitment to Responsible Gaming, as they integrate functionalities required by legislation and audited by the platforms.

These include strict age verification to prevent access by minors under 18, clear risk warnings related to gambling, and self-exclusion tools.

The post IBJR hails App Store approval as a milestone in the fight against illegal betting in Brazil appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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Black Label

Pragmatic Play signs Latam Agreement with Black Label

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 Pragmatic Play, a leading content provider to the iGaming industry, has strengthened its reach in the regulated Latin American market through a multi-product deal with platform provider Black Label. 

The partnership will see Pragmatic Play’s premium portfolio, including Slots, Live Casino, and Virtual Sports, integrated into the Black Label platform, enabling regulated operators across LatAm to seamlessly access the supplier’s content. 

Pragmatic Play titles, including multi-award-winning slots such as Gates of Olympus and Sugar Rush, as well as popular crash games like High Flyer and Spaceman, are now available to Black Label’s partners in the region.

 Black Label, a 360‑degree online gaming experience, serves as an end‑to‑end integration platform for launching or scaling online casinos.

Built with a deep understanding of Latin American players and offered in Spanish, it provides locally aligned solutions for one of the fastest‑growing regulated markets in the industry. 

Victor Arias, VP of Latin America at ARRISE, a global iGaming software and services leader and a key partner to Pragmatic Play, said

“Latin America remains one of the most dynamic and fast-growing regions in the industry, and partnering with Black Label allows Pragmatic Play to further boost its reach across the market.  

“Combining Pragmatic Play’s award‑winning content with Black Label’s locally aligned platform to support operators and players across the region is another positive step, and one that further cements Pragmatic Play’s status in Latin America.”

 Roberto González, general manager at Black Label, added: “Pragmatic Play is a globally respected supplier, and integrating its multiproduct portfolio is a major milestone for Black Label. 

“Our platform is built specifically for the needs of Latin American operators, and adding Pragmatic Play’s high‑performing content further strengthens the value we deliver to our partners.       

The post Pragmatic Play signs Latam Agreement with Black Label appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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Advanced Compliance Technology

Advanced Compliance Technology partners with the Soccer Federation of Rio Grande do Norte

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ACT has been selected to collaborate in building integrity programs of Brazil’s football leagues through its independent, real-time Sports Integrity monitoring technology and specialized education programs  to strengthen Brazilian Sports Integrity.

Advanced Compliance Technology (ACT), a leader in compliance, sports integrity and risk solutions for the global regulated betting and gaming industry, has entered a partnership with the Soccer Federation of North Rio Grande, a regional member of the national Brazilian Soccer Confederation (CBF).

The agreement signifies an important step forward in Brazilian football’s vision for the future as it adapts to the needs of the country’s new sports betting regulations, with an equal focus on safeguarding the integrity of competitions and protecting the athletes.

Under the agreement, ACT will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current status of the leagues’ needs operating within Brazil’s emerging regulated market.

ACT will also deliver educational programs tailored to the Brazilian sports markets, drawing on its expert sports leadership team, who share decades of experience and who have identified some of the largest match-fixing incidents in the United States.

The ACT team will combine their knowledge of sports betting, insider trading, and specialized analytics to address the growing need for sports integrity monitoring across Brazilian leagues. This will include the application of advanced technology through ACT’s proprietary online monitoring platform, the only real-time technology of its kind that is independent from betting operators and trading services.

Susan Bala, Co-Founder and Director at Advanced Compliance Technology, and former Delegate for the U.S. Commerce Department in Central and South America said: 

“We are entering a new chapter in global sports with the introduction of legalised sports betting in Brazil. The country has an incredible and proud history in soccer, producing many of the game’s greatest athletes.

ACT is very pleased to collaborate with the leadership of the Soccer Federation of Rio Grande do Norte league in their mission to build a strong future through education and application of the most advanced technology solutions to safeguard the sport.”

Felipe Silva, Acting President of the Soccer Federation of Rio Grande do Norte, and José Silva, Vice President of the Brazilian Soccer Confederation, said: 

“We are extremely pleased to be working with ACT on this initiative. We recognise the importance of educating our athletes and protecting the sport we love. It is our mission through this work to contribute to the future success of Brazilian football.

About Advanced Compliance Technology (ACT)

Advanced Compliance Technology is a leading provider of regulatory technology solutions for compliance and integrity monitoring in the global betting and gaming sector.

ACT’s all-in-one platform delivers the most advanced technology tools to help leagues, operators and regulators meet their complex compliance requirements with an independent expert service and real-time performance.

The company’s technology combines advanced geolocation intelligence, identity verification, advanced anti-fraud mechanisms, sports integrity and behavioural analytics to prevent circumvention, strengthen market integrity and support player protection.

The post Advanced Compliance Technology partners with the Soccer Federation of Rio Grande do Norte appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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