Are you a gaming addict?

Are you a gaming addict? Thousands of youngsters admit to spending more than 1,100 hours playing computer, video and phone games every year

• Estimated 300,000 18-24-year-olds in the UK spend more than 21 hours a week gaming
• Highest-selling game FIFA is played by more than half (56%) the male population aged 18-24 – the same proportion who have voted in a General Election
• Online marketplace Flubit partners with delivery specialist On the dot, to deliver FIFA 17 to gaming fans within two hours of launch

Thousands of young people are spending more than 1,100 hours playing computer and video games every year, according to a study by online marketplace Flubit.com.

According to the research, an estimated 300,000 18-24-year-olds in the UK are spending more than 21 hours a week playing games on consoles, phones and other devices.

More than 60,000 people within this age category, enough to fill Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, admit to spending this amount of time playing FIFA alone. To put this into context, the average university course involves just 14 hours of contact time a week, while the record for sailing around the world is currently 1,093 hours.

The gaming study was commissioned to celebrate Flubit’s partnership with delivery technology brand, On the dot, which will allow London gamers to pre-order a copy of the soon-to-be-released FIFA 17, to be delivered on the night of the game’s launch (between 12-2am).

The research also shows that a staggering 56% of 18-24-year-old men have played FIFA, the equivalent of 1.68million people. This was equal to the proportion who said that they had voted in a General Election before, and far higher than the 36%* of the age category thought to have voted in the European Referendum in June.

Football and gaming fans are eagerly anticipating the launch of FIFA 17 next month, in what will be the 33^rd release from the popular EA Sport franchise. FIFA is regularly the top-selling game of the year, with last year’s edition shipping almost seven million copies worldwide on the PS4 alone.

Ahead of the release of FIFA 17, the study from Flubit.com shows more than one in four (26%) adults in the UK have played the game at some point in their lives.

One person planning to take advantage of the service is FIFA-fan Jay Davies, who regularly uses Flubit and has saved around £500 making purchases on the website.

Jay, from South Yorkshire, said: “I play FIFA quite a lot and usually having a good four or five hour session on Friday nights with a friend, and then play it on and off during the week.

“The one-hour delivery service from Flubit is a game-changer, as it means I can get a physical copy straight away and also enjoy all the benefits that come with shopping online.”

Flubit.com will be releasing same day delivery on more products via a mobile app Flubit Go powered by ‘On the Dot’ in Q4 this year.