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. Instead of operating in parallel with games, the platforms are increasingly competing with them head-on.

My State of Video Games in 2026 is now out (Early Access)

1⃣ Why revenue growth is more elusive than headlines suggest

2⃣Why video gaming has been losing the attention war for a half decade (and to what)

3⃣ Where there's indisputable growth

Lots morehttps://t.co/cqNMmJL8ni

— Matthew Ball (@ballmatthew) February 17, 2026

There has been a steady change in leisure time toward interactive systems that keep users engaged around the clock…