"For years, gambling lived on the outer edges of the video game business. It was boxed in by geography, hemmed in by regulation, and treated as culturally separate from mainstream gaming. However, the wall has now largely come down. The State of Video Gaming in 2026 by Epyllion's CEO Matthew Ball argues that gambling, especially iGaming, online sports betting, and prediction markets, has become one of the biggest forces redirecting how players use their time and money."
"There has been a steady change in leisure time toward interactive systems that keep users engaged around the clock and, more often than not, put real money on the line. Video games are no longer just battling other games for attention. They are also up against a fast-growing web of gambling-adjacent platforms engineered for constant participation. Gamers are playing less, but not quitting. The report's survey data shows that Americans are playing video games less often than they once did. But most haven't stopped."
Gambling platforms—iGaming, online sports betting, and prediction markets—now redirect significant amounts of player attention and spending, competing directly with video games. Interactive systems increasingly keep users engaged around the clock and often involve real-money participation. Players are playing less frequently: among U.S. adults, 46 out of 100 say they game less than before, rising to 59 out of 100 for ages 18–45. Despite reduced frequency, gaming remains widespread: 76% of adults still play and 92% of 18–45-year-olds play. The change reflects compression of leisure time, with players shaving gaming hours rather than abandoning games entirely.
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