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FANDOM’S INSIDE GAMING REPORT UNCOVERS THE MINDSET & MOTIVATIONS OF GAMERS ACROSS GENERATIONS

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2 years ago

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Video game franchises have taken mainstream media by storm and gaming as a pastime is showing no signs of slowing down – its a hobby that has captured the cultural zeitgeist and crossed generational lines, and there’s no such thing as a ‘typical gamer’ any more. Now more than ever the industry needs to adopt a more nuanced and generational approach to game development & marketing in order to make a true impact with gaming fans.

Fandom’s Inside Gaming report couples Fandom’s robust, proprietary user data with a custom global study that examines how gamer motivations and behaviors vary by generation and provides a playbook for the gaming industry at large on how to truly understand the mindset of a gaming fan. The findings from the 2023 Inside Gaming report will help brands stand out in this increasingly crowded marketplace while giving them the tools to  identify, interact and more precisely connect with today’s gaming audience. This deep dive into the generational differences in gaming uncovered findings in three key areas:

  • Brand & Advertising Impact – examines generational motivations on gaming influence and intent to purchase, as well as which advertiser categories and specific brands are primed to make a huge splash with gamers

  • Gamer Motivations by Generation – explores the differences between major generational groups and their motivations & influence within the gaming space

  • Co-Gaming – highlights positive findings around gaming between parents & kids while also providing unique insights to fuel advertising strategies when aligning with families in the gaming space
KEY FINDINGS:

  • Over the past five years, engagement with gaming has increased across every demographic, platform, and genre – 45% of gamers are spending more time gaming than ever before

  • 80% of gamers of all ages are interested in playing games regardless of whether they are already fans of a franchise – which creates significant opportunities for content creators as they look to mine alternate IP for new gaming franchises

  • Despite teens and Gen Z spending more time gaming than they did last year, older generations of players are spending more hours per week gaming 

  • Building off that, Millennials are a key (and untapped) audience in gaming – 52% of Millennials rank gaming as their #1 interest

  • 75% of Fandom gamers eat and drink while gaming, making Food & Beverage a key non-endemic category for gamers

  • More parents and guardians are seeing benefits of gaming with their kids than ever before: co-gaming parents are +83% more likely to agree that gaming fosters leadership skills, +77% more likely to agree it teaches important life skills and +38% more likely to agree it establishes teamwork & collaboration

  • Top 5 games parents play with their kids are Mario (50%), Minecraft (48%), Roblox  (37%), Super Smash Bros (33%) and Kirby (32%)

 

“More than 150 million gaming fans come to Fandom and our 100K+ gaming communities each month, allowing us to unlock precise and unmatched insights about gamers across generations and platforms,” said Stephanie Fried, Fandom’s CMO. “These new insights into the behaviors, attitudes and perceptions of today’s gamers will enable marketers and studio leadership to drive better fan experiences and incremental revenue.”

 

The study uncovered huge opportunities for brands to more strategically tap into gaming audiences – namely in the CPG and QSR industries – and identified the generations that represent the biggest  untapped opportunity for marketers. Findings include:

  • 86% of Fandom gamers are influenced to purchase a brand or product that invests significantly in the gaming space, and nearly half are heavily influenced to do so.

  • Millennials are the largest untapped target in the gaming space: 

  • 40% of Fandom’s Millennial audience spend over 22 hours per week gaming, compared to only 29% of tweens.

  • Influence to purchase brands that have investments in the gaming space gets stronger with age: Millennials are more than +24% more likely to be heavily influenced to purchase compared to the average user on Fandom.

  • 75% of Fandom gamers eat and drink while gaming, making the Food & Beverage industry one of the most influential outside categories for gamers.

  • Gamers are +71% more likely to be most inclined to purchase Caffeinated Energy Drinks that heavily invest in the gaming space, ranking highest among F&B categories.

  • Snacks, soft drinks, and “Heat & Serve” meals trailed with 58%, 42% and 39%, respectively.

  • Gaming-adjacent items are extremely important to the game-play experience: Fandom gamers rank high speed internet (88%) peripherals (i.e. mouse, keyboard etc.) (74%) and gaming accessories (i.e. gaming chair) (41%) as most critical to their gaming experience

 

There isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” approach to understanding and marketing to gaming audiences. Motivation and influence vary by generation, so it’s critical to understand the mindset of a gaming fan in order to make a true impact in the marketplace. Findings include:

  • Overall, 45% of gamers are spending more time gaming; and while Millennials are spending more time gaming per week, the biggest growth in overall time spent gaming vs last year was seen among tweens and teens, with 63% and 48%, respectively.

  • The top-ranking factors for trying new games are: (1) game quality, followed by (2) storyline & plot, then (3) design and visuals, suggesting that gamers across the board are looking for more immersive and engaging experiences.

  • Still, younger generations are more likely to be influenced by “cultural hype” while older audiences are more influenced by the immersive and deep characters and storylines.

  • This points to the importance of building strategies to cater to different audiences – building viral programs that lead to cultural buzz is key to aligning with younger audiences while building programs that allow players to immerse themselves in the universe & connect to the characters and storyline is key for older audiences.

  • The top-ranking overall motivations for Fandom gamers are:

  • Stress relief (48%)

  • Relaxation (47%)

  • Escapism (45%)

  • Younger generations of gamers are more interested in competitive gaming and making social connections, while older gamers gravitate more toward games with potential for intellectual stimulation.

  • Among gaming genres, adventure, sandbox, survival and fighting games are most popular with Fandom gamers of all ages.

  • Tweens, however, are most likely to play battle royal (49%), racing (46%) and survival games (39%); while millennials gravitate more toward MMO (41%), strategy (27%) and RPG (26%) genres, with games like Elden Ring or World of Warcraft.

  • The biggest drivers for Gen Z and Millennials are character and storyline, with rich and complex backgrounds; while younger gamers gravitate more toward competitive games, with an emphasis on coordinated teamwork.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the gaming industry booming, time spent gaming increasing, and gaming IP’s seeing huge success crossing over into TV and movies, gaming as a pastime is here to stay. Interestingly, the findings uncover benefits for parents co-gaming with their kids, as well as co-gaming motivations by age group:

  • Within the co-gaming ecosystem, gaming isn’t the only motivator for parents and their children. They also enjoy discussing strategy (47%) and research (37%).

  • Parents who choose to game with their kids do so for these main reasons:

  • As a fun activity to do together (56%)

  • Kids ask them to play (44%) 

  • Parents are avid gamers themselves and want to continue the trend (41%)

  • Age does affect behavioral motivations in co-gaming, particularly among parents with children aged 3-8 as they are +89% more likely to co-game in order to better understand the content of the games their kids are playing.

  • Parents of teens are +46% more likely to play games with their kids.

  • The top-ranking benefits of gaming for parents include:

  • Establishes teamwork and collaboration (33%)

  • Teaches important life lessons (26%)

  • Fosters leadership skills (25%)

  • The leading games for parents to co-game with kids 7-12 years old are Super Smash Brothers, Fortnite and Roblox.

  • Parents who co-game with their teenage children aged 13-17 play Rocket League, Cuphead and Splatoon.

 

Methodology:

The 2023 Inside Gaming report identifies macro-level entertainment patterns and trends based on a survey of 15,000 Global Fandom users. These insights were validated and deepened through Fandom’s robust user data – more than 350 million monthly unique visitors, 45 million pages of content across 250,000 wikis – and qualitative and quantitative insights from Fandom’s proprietary fan panel. This methodology provides a 360-degree view of what’s happening in the gaming landscape through the eyes of Fandom.

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Thunderkick commits to growth in Ontario with Betty partnership

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2 days ago

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September 10, 2025

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Independent slots studio Thunderkick has agreed a deal with Ontario-based operator Betty to supply the rapidly growing online casino with a diverse collection of globally popular titles.

Betty, an official partner of sporting franchises Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors, has risen to prominence since its 2022 establishment, when it was built following the consultation of 300 casino players to create the optimal iGaming environment.

Distinguishing itself from North American competitors by catering specifically to slot enthusiasts rather than sports bettors, the operator has curated a portfolio of 2,800 games, hand-picked to deliver customers maximum entertainment value.

Thunderkick’s content is the latest to be integrated into Betty’s online casino, and the agreement will see a selection of its most popular titles, including The Wildos 2, Midas Golden Touch 3, and Esqueleto Explosivo 3, made available to a greater number of Ontarian players.

Thunderkick marked its debut in the Canadian province in Q2 of 2024, and has since partnered with a network of leading operators to improve its market position. The collaboration with Betty will further amplify its visibility in a key jurisdiction as the provider looks to reinforce its reputation as a global slot developer.

Svante Sahlström, CCO at Thunderkick, said: “It’s our mission at Thunderkick to go deeper, not wider, in 2025. That means forging meaningful, lasting relationships in target markets as opposed to securing as many commercial deals as possible.

“Since entering Ontario over 12 months ago, we have worked tirelessly to enhance our presence in the province, and working with leading brands such as Betty allows us to bring our unique games to a deeper pool of Canadian players.”

Paraskeva Smirnova, Casino Operations Manager at Betty, added: “Betty’s USP has always been our drive to build a slot portfolio with the very best titles from the industry’s most creative suppliers.

“Thunderkick’s passion for slot development is there for all to see, and the introduction of its games to our casino further elevates the consumer experience.”

The post Thunderkick commits to growth in Ontario with Betty partnership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Save the Date: BCLC’s New Horizons in Safer Gambling Conference Returns November 2026

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2 days ago

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September 10, 2025

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BCLC is pleased to announce the return of the New Horizons in Safer Gambling Conference, taking place November 2–4, 2026, at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver.

This global event brings leading voices in research, policy and industry together to explore innovative approaches to safer gambling. Attendees can expect two days of forward-thinking dialogue, evidence-based insights and collaborative solutions to help shape the future of player health.

Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available

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Registration and program details will be released later this fall.

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absolutebet Secures AGCO Registration as an Internet Gaming Operator in Ontario

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7 days ago

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September 5, 2025

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Internet Gaming Operator by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

This significant milestone authorizes absolutebet to offer regulated iGaming services in Ontario’s legal market under the oversight of AGCO and iGaming Ontario (iGO).

The registration marks a key step in absolutebet’s mission to bring a trusted, responsible, and innovative online casino experience to Ontario players. absolutebet is committed to operating with integrity and transparency, meeting all provincial standards for player protection, responsible gambling, anti-money laundering, and game integrity.

“Securing AGCO registration is more than a milestone—it’s the start of absolutebet’s journey in one of the most exciting regulated markets in the world,” said Chen Truman, Founder of absolutebet. “We are building a brand that will grow with the Ontario community and set the stage for future expansion.”

On the regulatory milestone, Krisztina Kalla, Legal & Regulatory Compliance Advisor of absolutebet, commented: “I’m incredibly proud to see all the hard work behind this license pay off. Securing AGCO registration has taken months of preparation and close collaboration with regulators and partners. I am very happy to see the result of that work, and even more excited as we move into the launch phase and open up the absolutebet community to Ontario players in a fun and responsible way.”

Ontario is recognized as one of the most competitive and fast-growing regulated iGaming markets in North America. With AGCO registration secured, absolutebet will move forward with the final stages of its iGO onboarding process in preparation for launch.

 

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