The popularity of skill and mobile games has grown tremendously over the last two decades, but even more so in the last three years as the public looked for an escape from COVID-19 lockdowns. In 2021, the global gaming market was comprised of three billion users with a total revenue of $180 billion, and that number could grow to $321 billion by 2026, according to PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook. In the U.S., gaming audiences spent an average of $23.87 on video games per month in 2022, up from $19.94 per month in 2019, according to Statista. Over 227 million people in the U.S. play video games one to a few hours per week. Approximately 74% of U.S. households consist of at least one member who plays video games and roughly 76% of Americans under 18 and 67% of adults play games. Despite the pandemic, Newzoo projects that consumer spending on games will grow to $218.7 billion by 2024, as population increases, technological advances, and swifter internet speeds help build the industry up. Within that market, the overall social gaming market was estimated to be $16.7 billion of revenue in 2020 and set to reach $31.6 billion by 2027, per a BlueWave Consulting study. The broadening reach of social media has bolstered the gaming market, with cooperative aspects, chat rooms and more, aiding its growth. Over 70% of the 100 casinos surveyed reported that they plan to integrate skill-based games in the future, according to a survey by Synergy Blue. They also found that 67% of respondents cited appealing to a younger generation of gambler as their aim with skill games, which tend to be more immersive. The top grossing mobile game for H1 2021 Games Industry Overview 37 Sponsored by Visit iGamingPocketDirectory.com for more information. GAMES
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