It is dangerous to generalize in these perilous economic times, but market indicators across the Western world suggest that older generations are having a better time of things financially than anyone else. That’s certainly a trend in Australia right now, a nation that has recovered better and faster from the events of 2020.
As always, there are exceptions, but in the main, Australian seniors are retiring younger, living longer and spending more. So what are they spending their money on? Seniors in other parts of the world might spend it on travel to exotic locations like Australia. Yes, of course, Aussie seniors travel, but most commonly within Australia and New Zealand.
Australian seniors have money to spend on other leisure pursuits, and you might be surprised to hear that for almost half, that includes gaming.
In This Article
A dramatic rise in silver gamers
Over the past four years, the number of over-65s in Australia who describe themselves as gamers have almost doubled to just over 40 percent. It is easy to place responsibility for the events of 2020 and 2021, but that would be an oversimplification.
For one thing, it is fair to assume that everyone over 61 who identified as a gamer four years earlier would now say they are a gamer aged 65 plus. Secondly, there will always be some newbie gamers in every age group who decide to give it a try. It is in this area that the mass closures in 2020 and 2021 had some influence, in two areas especially.
You can’t keep Australians from casino games
When calculating on the basis of money spent per capita, Australians are mathematically the biggest gamblers in the world. They wager as much per capita as the second and third-highest-spending nationalities put together. Around 50 percent of all betting is on pokies or slot machines.
Obviously, the closure of casinos, bars and so on had a significant impact, and in 2021, older Australians were poring over Australian online casino reviews in record numbers. Online platforms offer the same casino games with which customers are familiar, as well as a good range of classic table games like 3-card poker, blackjack and roulette.
Gaming is a way for families to bond
The other way in which those difficult months encouraged older generations to try gaming was as a way to feel a little closer to loved ones who were temporarily out of reach. We all saw the awesome phenomenon of over-65s taking to platforms like Zoom like ducks to water so they could chat with family and friends.
They soon found out that chatting was only the beginning. Traditional games like chess, Scrabble and even Monopoly were given new leases of life as they provided a way for families and generations to interact – and probably better than they had in years in a lot of cases!
Silver gaming is more popular than ever
From the above, it is easy to conclude that the primary driver for the rise in silver gamers happened in 2020 and 2021. However, if that was the case, you would expect the numbers to have tailed off over the past two years. But on the contrary, the number of over 65s playing casino games continues to rise. In subsequent surveys this year, games like Wordle have taken ascendency. Silver gaming is here to stay, and habits are changing with each passing year. The real question is when developers will catch on to this new, wealthy demographic.
Opportunities abound for game and gadget makers
It is plain to see that players of all ages can enjoy games from Wordle to Monopoly Live to Subway Surfers. The same goes for sports management games. But to look at the way they are marketed and packaged, you would find it hard to believe. There is an immense opportunity there for the taking in Australia, and if things go the way they tend to go, it is one that will soon be replicated in the rest of the western world.
Sports games are actually an excellent example – over 65s born in the 1950s would undoubtedly relish the chance to play and manage teams from the 1970s, but apart from a few “all-time” teams, it has never really been explored.
Similarly, gadget makers selling peripherals such as game controllers could do far more to pitch them at older players. Even at 30 or 40, touchscreen controls can be fiddly. These are the sorts of gadgets that are perfect gifts for older players.
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