The Changing Face Of Digital Gaming

In a recent study of 16,000 people in the UK, we revealed that ‘midlifers’, and especially dads, are among the most enthusiastic gamers, with a growing interest in social media, watching esports and experimenting with Virtual Reality (VR). Two-thirds of British dads aged between 25-44 years old are regular gamers and are retaining early enthusiasms for products such as the PlayStation, Blackberry and Xbox, to indulge in the likes of FIFA, Candy Crush and Fortnite every week. Men with children are more likely to spend time gaming and watching esports than those without and, in the 25-44-year range, men are twice as likely as women to spend time gaming and watching esports.

Dave is a 38-year-old dad. He loves to game and experience new technologies. Whilst he mainly focuses on  simulation racing, he is always looking for new things to try, preferably with friends.

Dave is perhaps not the stereotypical image of a ‘gamer’. But is he the true face of today’s gaming fraternity? Who should we be taking our tech tips from – Gen Z or ‘Digital Dads’?

Enthusiasm for gaming, mobile, and more social forms of interactive entertainment is far from confined to younger generations. People of all ages – particularly middle-aged dads – enjoy gaming and seem to love experimenting with new and exciting content,” said Dom Grounsell, Deputy Director of Digital at Entain.

“We’re developing new interactive entertainment experiences, with more gaming and social features, because it’s increasingly clear this is what people want."

Other research we have undertaken has looked into future trends and evidences how interest in new technologies will continue to grow:

• 37% of adults in the UK expect to watch esports in the future, more than twice as many who currently do so (15%), according to a global study of 20,000 adults across 16 markets
• In the US, the same study found 40% of adults expect to watch esports in the future (vs. 17% currently), and this increases to 52% in Italy (vs. 22% currently) and 55% in Spain (vs. 21% currently)
• Interest in immersive gaming experiences is highest amongst 35-44-year-olds, with 60% of our digital customers claiming to be “very interested” in VR, compared to 57% of adults under the age of 35

The worlds of media, entertainment and gaming are converging and, as our research shows, customers are looking for richer experiences, with greater content, interactivity, and social engagement. Our proprietary tech stack enables us to offer new and existing customers an even more engaging experience with additional content and media, as well as interactive entertainment.

We’re set to launch a number of innovative new experiences for customers in the UK through some of our leading brands, like Ladbrokes. Based around VR and mobile entertainment experiences in sport, gaming, and music, these ground-breaking products will show how we are meeting changing customer needs. One example of this, through partnerships with bands, will see Ladbrokes customers being able to stream music content and gain exclusive access to gigs and events through its recently launched Amplify brand.

Coupled with our recent acquisition of Unikrn, the esports betting and entertainment media company, and appointment of Justin Dellario as our new head of esports, we see huge growth potential in the area of interactive entertainment. In fact, as previously announced, we estimate that together the esports wagering and social casino related markets could add an incremental $20bn+ in addressable markets for us by 2025.

Our Entain platform is almost infinitely expandable into these opportunities and we will continue to innovate and evolve our offer, leaning in to these ever-evolving consumer trends.

As ever, it is exciting times ahead for Entain.