British residents over the age of 60 seem to be turning to their mobile devices and gaming controllers to escape reality, new research initiated by energyhelpline.com says. Gambling is getting more popular among elderly people who are willing to improve their mental health and tackle loneliness.
The older punters in the UK now seem to be spending an average of eight hours gaming per week, which is just 45 minutes a week less than the time spent by the nation’s youngest gamblers in the age range from 16 to 29 years. Still, the aforementioned stats will greatly vary in comparison to avid gamers or esports players, while the older gamblers are using their mobile phones more.
The research was carried out by Prospectus Global in 2021, with a total of 2,005 British players having taken part in it. According to the results of the survey, elderly gamblers spend 416 hours playing video games on an annual basis. The majority of these players preferred using mobile devices to gamble, with 49% of them using their smartphone, and 40% of them playing on a tablet. The research also showed that one in eight elderly players (12%) have preferred to use a PS4.
Online Gaming and Gambling Become Large Part of Elderly Brits’ Lives during Coronavirus Pandemic
The findings of the survey come at a time when the UK gambling industry reported record sales of £7 billion last year alone. An Ofcom survey has revealed that in 2020 almost two-thirds (more than 60%) of UK adults played some form of a video game.
A representative of energyhelpline.com, Tashema Jackson, shared that older people are looking for new ways to socialise in order to deal with their loneliness, so they seem to be turning to video games. Ms Jackson explained that the latest research has shown that gaming is considered an acceptable way for socialisation, regardless of the player’s age.
According to the newest study, gaming has turned into a significant part of elderly people’s lives, with about 41% of the players over 60-year-olds admitting they spend more time gaming than on other hobbies. Another 40% admitted they have dodged their household chores in order to continue gaming, while 13% of the survey respondents shared they lost their sleep so they can continue gambling.
The coronavirus pandemic outbreak resulted in an increase in gambling and gaming participation rates, as more people have spent the lockdowns at home, looking for various forms of entertainment, including online gaming. For players aged 60 and older, almost one-third reported that gaming has helped them improve their mental health. Also, one-fifth of elderly players shared they felt less lonely thanks to gaming. Three in ten elderly players said they play online games to escape reality.
During the coronavirus pandemic, gaming has also become a more acceptable family activity, with about 15% of younger players between 16 and 29 years of age using video games as a way to socialise with their parents and grandparents.
- Author
Daniel Williams
