37 Million Players – UK Boasts Highest Number of ‘Gamers’ In Europe

David Banks
Authored by David Banks
Posted: Friday, November 22, 2024 - 22:13

If you look at what we use for entertainment today compared to 15-20 years ago, there has been a clear shift to digitalisation. While sport and outdoor activities are still hugely popular, many people have replaced these with playing on their  mobile devices or enjoying games on their Xbox or console. This includes video games as well as games at online casinos.

The digital entertainment trend has made waves across Europe, but it may surprise you to know just how many people in the UK class themselves as gamers. Recent studies show that an estimated 37 million people in the UK are gamers and as you will see below, this is far beyond the scope of gaming in other countries in Europe.

We lay the figures bare in the below article, but also look at the factors as to why this trend has emerged – enjoy!

Comparison with Other European Countries

Before we look at the factors why, let’s break down the statistics and compare the number of gamers in Europe spread across the five major countries. These figures are taken from Statista and are correct as of the end of 2023 so some adjustment may be needed for 2024 but below, we can see the estimated number of games in selected gaming markets:

  • United Kingdom: 37 million.
  • France: 27 million.
  • Germany: 25 million.
  • Italy: 23 million.
  • Spain: 15 million.

The UK is clearly leading the way by some 10 million gamers and that’s a huge difference. But we can put that into more perspective by looking at the percentage of gamers compared to the current population of these countries:

  • United Kingdom: 67 million.
  • France: 64 million.
  • Germany: 83 million.
  • Italy: 58 million.
  • Spain: 47 million.

This goes to show how disparate the proportion of gamers is in the UK compared to these other major European nations. We can give a direct summary below and show the percentage of gamers in relation to the whole country population:

  • United Kingdom: 55%
  • France: 42%
  • Germany: 30%
  • Italy: 39%
  • Spain: 31%

So, to give that some perspective, effectively, over 1 in 2 people in the UK are gamers! That’s quite astounding and it shows the love the UK has for video games.

What Factors Contribute to This High Percentage of Gamers in the UK?

We can see that the UK is obsessed with gaming and that our love of video games and online casinos is far greater than most other European countries. But why is this so? What makes us jump on video games or login to an online casino? There are a range of factors both economic and technological.

The online casino industry continues to grow

NewCasinos (www.newcasinos.com) comments on the continued growth of the online casino industry in the UK as a major contributing factor. Remember that casino games are considered gaming too. Gross Gambling Yield in the UK rose by 5% in 2024 alone and it appears that more people are signing up for online casinos than ever.

This is bolstered by the fact that the UK has arguably the best licensing authority in the world – the UK Gambling Commission. Simply put, UK online casinos have incredibly high standards and give customers a secure, safe, and fair experience which is why they are so popular.

Video game spending continues to rise

From 2022-2023, video game revenue increased by 25% to over $15 billion in the UK. Simply put, more people are buying games, consoles, and equipment than ever before.

Now, an underlying factor that cannot be ignored is the global pandemic. From 2021-2023 restrictions were in place in the UK and people were stuck indoors. This ultimately meant a mini boom for the gaming industry and people had to turn to digital forms of entertainment. Once the pandemic restrictions eased, many people in the UK obviously found that they still wanted to game, hence the continued boom.

Mobile gaming has had a huge boom

Smartphone ownership in the UK continues to rise and we have one of the highest percentages of smartphone users in Europe.

This has ultimately led to an increase in the mobile gaming industry, and this is backed by the strength of the UK mobile gaming market. It’s estimated that mobile gaming penetration (i.e. the percentage of UK smartphone users who play mobile games) was 34%, which is actually much higher than games consoles and PC gaming. The younger generation has spearheaded this trend with a high percentage of youngsters gaming on their phones alongside social media usage.

eSports and streaming are also thriving

The UK also has access to some of the best streaming services and platforms in the world and this has ultimately led to an increase in eSports and gaming activity. You can see the trend – you might watch someone play a game on YouTube or Twitch, think it looks like fun, and then go and play the game yourself on your PS5 or PC

eSports is also thriving with an estimated 13/4 million eSports users being documented in the UK and the eSports industry generates over 50 million USD per year in the UK alone.

The UK has the biggest video game market in Europe

Lastly, the UK simply has a more mature and larger video game industry and market compared to other European countries by a substantial amount. For example, video game revenue in 2023 in the UK was over $7 billion, whereas the next closest market was Germany at just under $5 billion. The infrastructure and economy of the country, and the general lifestyle of the population as a service-oriented country means that the video game industry can flourish.

The UK Gaming Craze Shows no Signs of Slowing Down

As you can see, there is a range of factors contributing to our fascination with gaming including the popularity of online casinos, the development of mobile gaming, and the strength of the UK video game industry. With these things only looking to increase between 2024-2029, we could expect to see the percentage of UK gamers increase beyond 55% in the next decade!