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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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b2b partnerships
Dynabit Gaming goes live on BetB2B aggregation platform
The supplier says its cross-platform games are now rolling out to operators connected to BetB2B.
Dynabit Gaming has gone live on BetB2B, with the supplier saying its content is already rolling out to operators connected via the platform.
The announcement positions the integration as a distribution step for Dynabit Gaming’s cross-platform games, extending reach through BetB2B’s operator network.
Vika Prudnyk, Chief Commercial Officer at Dynabit Gaming, said: “We’re really happy to be partnering with BETB2B. They bring great energy, strong expertise, and a platform that fits perfectly with where we want to go next.”
No further commercial or technical details were disclosed, including which operators are first to launch, which titles are included, or timelines for broader rollout.
The post Dynabit Gaming goes live on BetB2B aggregation platform appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
affiliate marketing
Hub Affiliations wins iGB Affiliate Awards 2026 campaign prize
Creator-Powered Live Streaming Rollout takes Programme/Network Campaign of the Year; company also Highly Commended for Best Affiliate Network.
Hub Affiliations has won Programme/Network Campaign of the Year at the iGB Affiliate Awards 2026 in London, taking the prize for its Creator-Powered Live Streaming Rollout campaign. The company was also Highly Commended in the Best Affiliate Network category.
The iGB Affiliate Awards 2026 ceremony was hosted at The Shard and recognises performance across affiliate marketing and iGaming. Hub Affiliations said the winning campaign combined sports audiences, live streaming, creator distribution, editorial publishing, AI-supported optimisation, affiliate technology and performance marketing.
The company linked the result to the role of Sporticos within its wider media network, positioning it as the distribution and live engagement layer for major sports moments. Hub Affiliations said its media network recorded more than 500,000 visitors in a single day during the FIFA World Cup.
Hub Affiliations also shared internal performance metrics, stating it averages more than 20,000 FTDs per month, works with over 1,600 registered affiliates and reaches audiences in 187 countries. It added it has logged 51 international finalist placements and 12 international awards.
Commenting on the approach, Charles Herisson said: “The strongest affiliate companies will be the ones that can build audiences, not only buy traffic. Our goal with Hub Affiliations is to connect media, technology, creators and performance into one model.” Francesco Maddalena added: “Sporticos and live streaming allow us to reach sports fans when their attention is highest. The challenge is not only generating traffic, but creating a better user journey before conversion.”
The post Hub Affiliations wins iGB Affiliate Awards 2026 campaign prize appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
iGB L!VE 2026
N1 Partners at iGB L!VE 2026: Bringing Together Affiliates, Art and Innovation
N1 Partners team has wrapped up its participation at iGB L!VE London 2026. Over the course of the two-day conference, the company unveiled its new N1 Duality booth concept, presented exclusive art collaborations as part of a capsule collection created with fashion illustrator Clym Evernden, launched the first drop of custom designer toys in collaboration with Yoomoota, and introduced the limited-edition SPLIT: London merch collection.
Special attention was also given to N1 Sport Promo — a campaign for affiliates working with sports traffic and the Prediction Markets vertical.

Over the two days, the conference served as a platform for hundreds of meetings with partners, conversations with industry media, and presentations of new opportunities for scaling affiliate businesses.
N1 Duality: When Art Becomes a Part of Networking
Throughout both days, N1 Partners’ booth remained one of the busiest destinations at iGB L!VE London. N1 Duality concept brought together business networking, contemporary art, and interactive experiences, transforming it into a space for meetings, new connections, and discussions of future collaborations.
The experience centrepiece was a live art performance by British artist Clym Evernden, who has collaborated with global luxury brands including Hermès, Prada, Tiffany, Diptyque, and others. Throughout the exhibition, he created a large-scale artwork directly on the booth walls using his signature continuous-line illustration technique.

Visitors were able to watch the creative process unfold in real time, receive original sketches, signed postcards, and exclusive merchandise from the capsule collection designed specifically for N1 Partners by the artist, including a tote bag, T-shirt, scarf, socks, and scented candles.
Another major premiere was the collaboration with designer and creator Yoomoota, whose works have been exhibited at PAD London, Art Miami, and the Red Dot Museum and featured in Forbes, Hypebeast, Vice, Elle Decor, and Designboom.

Exclusively for the conference, Yoomoota created a collectible designer toy that became part of N1 Partners’ limited-edition gift collection and quickly turned into one of the most talked-about pieces of the brand’s exclusive drop.
And this is only the beginning — new exclusive designer toys created by N1 Partners and Yoomoota are already in development for SBC Summit Lisbon and SiGMA Europe Rome.
The interactive DICES game, branded giveaways, and an atmosphere of open communication made the booth a natural meeting point for affiliates, clients, and industry professionals throughout the event.

iGB L!VE London 2026 Highlights
iGB L!VE London provided an excellent opportunity to reconnect with existing partners, meet new industry professionals, and discuss future cooperation opportunities.
Among the key outcomes of the conference for the N1 Partners team:
- Presentation of the N1 Duality concept and the new SPLIT: London merchandise collection;
- Exclusive art collaborations with British fashion illustrator Clym Evernden for the capsule collection and designer Yoomoota for the custom collectible toy series;
- Presentation of N1 Sport Promo for affiliates working with sports traffic and the Prediction Markets vertical;
- 300+ meetings with existing and prospective partners;
- 10+ interviews and media productions with leading industry publications;
- More than 2,400 pieces of exclusive merchandise and branded gifts distributed by N1 Partners.



“iGB L!VE London 2026 has been one of the most exciting and productive exhibitions of the year for us. We held dozens of meetings with partners, explored new opportunities for business growth, and received an outstanding response to N1 Sport Promo.
I’d also like to highlight our creative collaborations with designers Clym Evernden, who developed our exclusive capsule collection, and Yoomoota, who created our custom collectible toys. Together, we succeeded in bringing affiliate business, art, and creativity into one shared experience.
We’re grateful to all our partners for the productive meetings we had during this event in London. Face-to-face communication is what lays the foundation for new projects, stronger partnerships, and long-term growth,” said Alexa Bond, Head of Affiliates at N1 Partners.
Collaboration with N1 Partners
N1 Partners is a multi-brand affiliate program and direct advertiser, offering affiliates:
- 14+ casino and sportsbook brands with high Reg2Dep
- 10+ Tier-1 GEOs
- CPA up to €700 and RevShare up to 55% + NNCO for top partners
Be number one with N1!
The post N1 Partners at iGB L!VE 2026: Bringing Together Affiliates, Art and Innovation appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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