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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%).

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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.

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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

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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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Getting to Know Incline Gaming Marketing with Chief Commercial Officer Jo Dennis

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Incline Gaming Marketing is redefining how gambling brands scale and succeed worldwide. Founded by industry veteran Peter Laverick, the agency delivers end-to-end digital marketing services across user acquisition, CRM, and creative. In this interview, CCO Jo Dennis explains how Incline acts as an extension of operators’ in-house teams, helping them acquire players, boost retention, and compete globally.

 

Incline Gaming Marketing. Tells us what we need to know about the business.

Incline Gaming Marketing (Incline) is a full-service digital marketing partner dedicated exclusively to the regulated gambling industry. We’re not just a supplier of campaigns or assets, we run marketing operations end-to-end for our partners, functioning as an extension of their in-house team.

Our expertise spans user acquisition, CRM, and creative, delivered by specialists who’ve worked inside top operators and suppliers. With offices in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and London, we provide market-specific strategies and execution for brands in North America, Europe, Africa, Australia, and beyond.

Founded by industry veteran Peter Laverick in 2020, Incline is part of The Conexus Group alongside Pentasia (recruitment) and Partis (strategy and M&A). Our partners range from household-name operators to ambitious new entrants, all looking for a team that can step in, own the process, and deliver measurable results from day one.

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Who are the main players running the business day to day?

Peter Laverick, our CEO and founder, has led marketing at some of the industry’s biggest names, including BetVictor, Aristocrat, and PlayStudios. Chief Commercial Officer Jo Dennis joined through our acquisition of Random Colour Animal in 2024 (RCA was originally founded in 2018) and brings more than 25 years in brand and marketing strategy.

Chief Marketing Officer Oren Langburt has over 15 years’ experience in real-money gaming, including leading marketing at FanDuel. VP Partner Success Haig Sakouyan is a 20+ year industry veteran, ensuring our partnerships deliver beyond marketing.

 

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Talk us through Incline Gaming Marketing’s core service offering.

We operate in three connected disciplines that together form a complete managed marketing service:

  • User Acquisition (UA): We plan, execute, and optimise campaigns across Meta, Google, TikTok, Snapchat, Apple, and programmatic networks, managing multi-million-dollar budgets. As an approved Facebook Business Partner, we’ve been rated the most effective media buyer in North America’s online gaming sector, achieving a 99.9% efficiency score.
  • Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM): Our CRM specialists handle the full player lifecycle — from onboarding and first-time deposit conversion to long-term retention and reactivation. We combine data-led segmentation with targeted offers and creative to grow lifetime value while controlling bonus spend.
  • Creative: We produce more than 1,000 assets per month, from brand identities and websites to broadcast-quality TV spots, slot game creatives, supplier content packs, and conference materials. All creative is performance-driven and integrated into UA and CRM campaigns for maximum impact.

When combined, these services allow us to act as a partner’s complete marketing department – – strategy, execution, and optimisation under one roof.

 

Which markets are you focused on? Are you pushing into any new regions?

We built our reputation in North America, where we work with leading land-based and online operators across casino, sportsbook, lottery, social gaming, and daily fantasy sports. We now deliver integrated managed services in Canada, the UK, continental Europe, Africa, and Australia, tailoring each approach to local regulations, player behaviours, and market dynamics.

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For many partners, this means we handle all marketing in new markets from day one – avoiding the time and cost of building a local team – and then continue as their long-term, embedded marketing function.

 

Why are your services particularly valuable to operators in the current industry climate?

Player acquisition costs are rising, retention is harder than ever, and regulatory pressure is mounting. Building and managing an in-house team with the full range of skills required – from media buying to lifecycle marketing to creative production – is expensive and slow.

Incline solves that. We provide an instant, proven marketing department with deep gambling expertise, multi-channel capabilities, and global reach. Our managed services model means we don’t just advise, we execute, optimise, and deliver results. Whether launching in a new jurisdiction or scaling in a mature one, we know the levers to pull for sustainable growth.

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What can we expect from Incline in the second half of the year?

We’re deepening our presence in Europe, Africa, and Canada while cementing our leadership in North America. Several major launches and brand refresh projects are underway, alongside scaled acquisition and retention campaigns for our long-term partners.

Our focus remains the same — provide operators and suppliers with a high-performing, fully managed marketing function that delivers measurable results faster, and with more certainty, than building it in-house.

 

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The post Getting to Know Incline Gaming Marketing with Chief Commercial Officer Jo Dennis appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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BMM Innovation Group to Spotlight Product Compliance, Cybersecurity, and Training Expertise at CGS Recife in Brazil This Week

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BMM Innovation Group (“BIG,” “BIG Group,” “BMM,” or the “Company”), a technology conglomerate focused on product compliance testing, training, and cybersecurity solutions, will participate in the CGS Recife show on August 21–22 at the Recife Expo Center in Recife, Brazil.

On Thursday, August 21, from 12-12:25 p.m., Marzia Turrini, BMM Testlabs’ President, iGaming & Cybersecurity, will deliver a keynote address on “Cybersecurity & Compliance: Safeguarding Operational Integrity in iGaming’s New Digital Era.” Turrini, named Latin America ‘Leader of the Year’ at the SBC Awards Americas earlier this year, will deliver a presentation that will cover how operators and suppliers can integrate robust cybersecurity measures with strong compliance practices to protect revenue, reputation, and regulatory relationships.

BMM Testlabs has a long-standing commitment to supporting the growth and integrity of Brazil’s evolving gaming industry. As a trusted partner to regulators, suppliers, operators, and industry stakeholders, BMM works closely with regulatory bodies and state lotteries to ensure technical compliance, transparency, and responsible gaming.

With a test lab and office in São Paulo backed by BMM’s years of experience serving the Latin American market, the Company offers local knowledge and support combined with global expertise. The digital and land-based services and solutions that BMM can provide in Brazil include product testing and certification, inspections, field audits, technical evaluations, and advanced cybersecurity solutions through BIG Cyber. BMM also provides compliance-grade expert-led training on responsible gaming, AML, human trafficking awareness, fraud prevention and detection, and many other topics through RG24seven Virtual Training.

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Turrini said, “Brazil is one of the most exciting gaming markets in the world, and BMM is proud to be part of its growth story. At CGS Recife, we’ll demonstrate how trusted product compliance, paired with cybersecurity and virtual training tailored for the gaming industry, can protect operations, build player trust, and strengthen the market. With our new São Paulo test lab and dedicated Brazil team, we’re committed to providing regulators, suppliers, and operators with the local expertise and global strength they need to succeed.”

The post BMM Innovation Group to Spotlight Product Compliance, Cybersecurity, and Training Expertise at CGS Recife in Brazil This Week appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Strive Connects SBK and Premier Sports in Multi-Platform Football Tie-Up

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Sports marketing consultancy Strive Sponsorship has brokered a multi-platform content and media partnership between SBK, the fast-growing, data-led sportsbook app, and Premier Sports, the premium sports broadcaster in Ireland and the UK.

The deal sees SBK become the official sponsor of Premier Sports’ ‘Scottish Football Social Club’ podcast – a YouTube and audio series that brings sharp, irreverent takes on all things SPFL. SBK will also support and feature in social media content for LALIGA and Scottish Premiership football throughout the 2025/26 season, marking a major step in SBK’s expansion into Ireland and broader UK football media.

In addition, Premier Sports subscriptions will be offered to SBK customers as part of exclusive promotional packages, enhancing access to premium football content and increasing brand loyalty.

“We’re proud to have connected two smart, fan-focused challenger brands in this deal,” said Malph Minns, Managing Director at Strive Sponsorship.

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“This partnership brings together content, distribution and fan utility in a way that few betting brands are doing today. SBK’s focus on value aligns perfectly with Premier Sports’ growing football community and media reach. It’s exactly the type of strategic, insight-led activation we specialise in.”

This partnership follows Strive’s work building SBK’s sport sponsorship portfolio across football clubs across the UK and Ireland — with a consistent focus on content-driven, fan-relevant assets that deliver beyond traditional branding.

Adam Baylis, Marketing Director at SBK, said:

“This is a really exciting move for us. Being part of Premier Sports’ LALIGA and SPFL social content gives us powerful visibility in key communities. We’re all about giving fans more value, and with Premier Sports subscriptions now available to our customers, this partnership delivers on that promise.

“It’s been great working with Strive on this deal. What sets them apart is their ability to go beyond just brokering deals — they bring structure, insight, and creativity to the whole process. Their work continues to deliver brand value that aligns tightly with our marketing objectives.”

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Shane Hogan, Head of Marketing at Premier Sports, added:

“We’re delighted to welcome SBK on board. They bring a fresh approach to the betting space and have a real focus on fan-first activation. This partnership gives our content new momentum, especially on social and podcast platforms, while giving our audience access to great offers and added value. It’s a win-win.

“Strive has been a pleasure to work with. Their expertise was clear from day one. They don’t just connect brands and rights holders — they engineer partnerships that work commercially, creatively, and for the fans. We’re excited about what this one will deliver.”

The post Strive Connects SBK and Premier Sports in Multi-Platform Football Tie-Up appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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