PayPal 2018 Global Gaming Insights: Canadian gamers spend 52 hours gaming online every month and more than half of them are women

TORONTO, Sept. 24, 2018 /CNW/ - PayPal Canada shared new insights from SuperData Research which revealed that gamers in Canada spend an average of 52 hours every month playing online games and more than more than half of them (55%) are women. Canadian gamers have an average age of 35 years and are eight years younger than their US counterparts. The research shows that 45 per cent of gamers in Canada play online or mobile games every day, compared to 39 per cent globally.

PwC predicts annual revenues in Canada's online gaming industry to be $40M with a CAGR of 22.7% over the next five years*. Canada's online gaming market has been growing strongly with total revenue in the sector greater than that of Italy and Spain combined.

Canadian gamers spend $200 per year on full online games compared with a yearly spend of $128 on buying in-game content. These gamers are also far less likely to trade for in-game items than the global average (22% vs. 44%).

"Online gaming is exploding in both Canada and globally", said Paul Parisi, President PayPal Canada. "PayPal processed more than $12 billion globally in online game purchases with a 23 per cent increase year-over-year. Recognizing growth potentials, we're making our checkout options easier for gamers and any online platforms, storefronts and stores that offer gaming."

Choice of device ? smartphones versus PCs and Gaming Consoles
Gamers in Canada play across an average of three devices, roughly in line with global averages. Smartphones (66%) are the device of choice when it comes to online gaming followed by tablets (43%), desktops (40%) and laptops (34%). Among women, 74 per cent play regularly on smartphones compared to only 58 per cent of men. PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox 360 were the most popular gaming consoles picked by Canadian gamers.

Other insights include:

• Gamers in Canada play games an average of 26 times a month and spend two hours per session.
• Mobile gamers skew heavily female (71%), while PC/console players skew male (56%).
• PC/console players game for longer with an average of two hours per session, while mobile gamers play an average of 1.5 hours per session.
• Almost half of online gamers in Canada (48%) live in an urban setting which is 15 per cent more than those in the US.

Gamers access a plethora of platforms and stores
Globally, active paying gamers polled shop across 14 different gaming platforms and nearly 30 different storefronts over the last three months, an incredible variety.

Leading the world, respondents in Canada and Australia purchased games from 28 different gaming storefronts?followed by Russia (27) and the US (26). The most popular online gaming storefronts selected by Canadian gamers were Google Play (30%), Steam (26%), Apple App Store (26%) and PlayStation Network (25%). Steam was resoundingly popular with Millennials with 35 per cent of Canadian Millennials and 31 per cent of global millennials reporting they shopped there for gaming content.

Twitch, the online gaming platform, is gaining popularity with Canadians with 29 per cent of gaming video content (GVC) viewers in Canada watching it versus a global average of 21 per cent.

What turns players into payers
An easy payment process is critical to the online gaming experience. Games, platforms and storefronts that provide inadequate payment options may see it negatively impact their bottom line. While gamers prefer a variety in options for shopping, they identified one consistent need across game purchases?seamless payment options. With monetization models changing? developers and publishers need to have an excellent payment checkout experience to better serve customers.

• Many gamers are put off by issues like long or cumbersome checkouts and lack of security. Specifically, women and gamers aged 18-34 are most likely to be affected by a poor check-out experience.
• Security is top of mind for Canadian gamers as 20 per cent would pick their payment method because it was secure compared to 13 per cent globally.
• Canadian gamers state they would walk away from the online sale when selecting payment options (22%), entering billing address (20%) and entering credit card details (18%).
• Across the world, survey respondents selected PayPal as their preferred way to pay for gaming content, with ease of use and speed driving their payment method choice. PayPal was the most popular payment method used by gamers in Canada (26%).

*Source: PwC's Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2018-2022 Outlook: https://www.pwc.com/ca/en/media/release/canada-entertainment-media-industry-revenue-grow.html

Study methodology
This study was conducted by SuperData on behalf of PayPal, between February and March 2018 across 25 markets with 25,000 active paying gamers interviewed globally.

About PayPal
Fueled by a fundamental belief that having access to financial services creates opportunity, PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) is committed to democratizing financial services and empowering people and businesses to join and thrive in the global economy. Our open digital payments platform gives PayPal's 250 million active account holders the confidence to connect and transact in new and powerful ways, whether they are online, on a mobile device, in an app, or in person. Through a combination of technological innovation and strategic partnerships, PayPal creates better ways to manage and move money, and offers choice and flexibility when sending payments, paying or getting paid. Available in more than 200 markets around the world, the PayPal platform, including Braintree, Venmo and Xoom, enables consumers and merchants to receive money in more than 100 currencies, withdraw funds in 56 currencies and hold balances in their PayPal accounts in 25 currencies. For more information on PayPal Canada visit www.paypal.ca

SOURCE PayPal Canada