During his participation in SAGSE Paraguay 2025, the president of Coljuegos, Marco Emilio Hincapié, highlighted to business leaders and regulators from the continent that, in the first half of the year, the entity has transferred approximately $127.9 million dollars ($535.819 billion) to the subsidized health system.

“We are proud that, internationally, we are recognized as one of the most advanced regulators on the continent. This is reflected both in regulatory innovation and in the increase in resources allocated to the healthcare of Colombians,” said Hincapié.

The president also emphasized that online games remain one of the main players in the industry, followed by localized games and other newer types such as Baloto and Super Astro.

“This year, we have seen a 33% increase in sales for Baloto, which represents approximately $32.203 billion compared to the January-June 2024 period. This allows us to project that this game will increase its contributions to health by more than $20 billion by the end of the year,” the official said.

Likewise, the president highlighted that in the first half of 2025, there was a 9.32% increase compared to 2024, going from $490.257 billion to $535.819 billion in 2025.

During the SAGSE event held in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, the president of Coljuegos also highlighted the progress made in combating illegal gambling. To date, the organization has seized 5663 unauthorized gambling devices in more than 25 departments across the country.

SAGSE is the most important gaming industry trade show in Latin America, bringing together the most prominent exhibitors in the games of chance industry, from slot machine manufacturers to casino and gaming room technology providers.

Tebex, the leading payments solution for gaming, reaching $1Bn in processed payments and powering over 30,000 web stores, is launching the first industry-wide look at payment trends in EU and NA with Newzoo on Tuesday, August 12 at 09:00 AM CEST.

Why This Data Matters

In a maturing Western games market with slowing payer growth (North America: +1.1% CAGR, Europe: +3.1% CAGR, 2023-2027), studios must shift from acquiring new players to maximizing value from existing ones. The data reveals critical insights into player motivations, spending patterns, and payment preferences, enabling developers to craft targeted monetization strategies that boost revenue, enhance retention, and align with player expectations.

Global Market Snapshot (2025)

• Market Size: $188.9B (+3.4% YoY), with North America ($52.7B, 28%) and Europe ($33.1B, 18%) driving 46% of global spend despite housing only 20% of players (3.54B total).
• Payer Spending Power: North America leads with $324.9 avg. annual spend per payer; Europe averages $125.4 ($170.0 Western, $51.6 Eastern).
• Value: High per-payer spend in Western markets highlights the opportunity to deepen monetization through tailored strategies.

Spending Motivations Drive Strategy

• North America: 34% of payers spend to unlock exclusive content, 29% for personalization (character customization), reflecting a desire for self-expression. Studios can capitalize by offering unique cosmetics and content packs to drive engagement.
• Europe: 28% prioritize deals/offers, 21% value ad-free experiences, showing value-driven behavior. Discounted bundles and subscription models can increase conversion in this region.
• Value: Understanding regional motivations allows studios to align offerings with player priorities, enhancing loyalty and spend.

Diversified Spending Patterns

• North America: 27% of payers invest in content packs, power-ups, and in-game currencies, with subscriptions (24%) and battle passes (23%) also strong.
• Europe: In-game currencies and content packs lead (21% each), followed by subscriptions (20%) and gear/time-savers (18% each).
• Value: Diverse spending across virtual goods underscores the need for varied monetization options to capture a broad range of player preferences, boosting average transaction value (ATV).

Payment Methods Unlock Higher Spend

• ATV Trends (2025): Overall, ATV rose from $30 (2024) to $40. BNPL (North America: $85.0, Europe: $72.0) and crypto (North America: $94.8, Europe: $111.6) outperform cards (North America: $52.2, Europe: $42.7).
• Dual-Method Impact: Players using cards + BNPL/crypto maintain transaction frequency while spending more.
• Value: Offering alternative payment methods like BNPL and crypto can significantly increase ATV, especially in Western markets, without sacrificing transaction volume.

Revenue by Platform and Genre

• Microtransactions (MTX): Drive 49% of PC and 52% of console revenue in North America; 42% (PC) and 51% (console) in Europe. Mobile is near 100% in-game revenue.
• Top Genres: North America favors shooters, Europe prioritizes sports, with RPGs and puzzles strong in both.
• Value: High MTX revenue and genre preferences guide studios to focus on live services and region-specific content to maximize engagement.

Strategic Takeaways

• Deepen Monetization: With modest payer growth, studios must focus on existing players by offering personalized content and value-driven deals.
• Diversify Payment Options: Cards and wallet still dominate in volume, but integrating BNPL and crypto can unlock higher ATV, especially in Western markets.
• Align with Player Values: Transparency, fairness, and seamless payment experiences reduce churn and build loyalty in a competitive market.
• Understand the why and how players spend: NA players are more likely to spend for personalization and self-expression, while EU players are more value-conscious, prioritizing deals and an ad-free experience.

Quotes

Liam Wiltshire Head of Payments & Compliance at Tebex

“The future of gaming is about flexibility – meeting players where they are, with the methods they trust.”

This quote summarizes the importance of adapting to player-preferred payment methods like wallets, BNPL, and crypto to enhance accessibility and trust.

“Virtual currencies and microtransactions are no longer just revenue streams – they’re becoming strategic levers for retention and differentiation.”

This emphasizes the evolving role of microtransactions beyond revenue, focusing on engagement and player retention.

“Today’s players want to know what they’re paying for – and why. How you monetize matters more than ever.”

This highlights the need for transparency and fairness in monetization to build player trust and loyalty.

Novig, the leading peer-to-peer sports prediction market in the US, announced the successful close of an $18 million Series A funding round. The round was led by Forerunner, with participation from existing investors Y Combinator, NFX, Perceptive Ventures, and Gaingels.

Founded by Jacob Fortinsky and Kelechi Ukah, Novig is reimagining sports predictions as a transparent and fair marketplace. Unlike traditional sportsbooks, Novig allows users to trade directly with one another, rather than against the house, eliminating hidden fees, biased odds, and the risk of being penalized for winning.

Novig has experienced explosive growth since its public launch in September 2024, achieving a 50x increase in monthly trading volume and surpassing 2 billion worth in annualized volume in Novig Cash.

“What we’re building isn’t just sports predictions–it’s a true peer-to-peer market. We believe users deserve a system that rewards skill, reflects true supply and demand, and gives every fan a fair shot. We’ve quickly become the #1 sports prediction market in the US, and our organic growth speaks to the strength of our product and the passion of our community. The support from some of the world’s leading tech investors, who believe in our mission to democratize sports betting for good, is a powerful endorsement—not just of what we’ve built, but of the future we’re creating. This funding will allow us to scale our mission across more sports, more formats, and ultimately, to more users,” said Jacob Fortinsky, CEO and co-founder of Novig.

More than 90% of trades on Novig are now fully peer-to-peer, a signal of strong product-market fit. Novig users are three times more likely to remain active on the platform compared to traditional betting platforms. Every new Novig user receives a starting balance of Novig Coins and Novig Cash, enabling them to experience the thrill of trading with no upfront deposit or risk.

With the new capital, Novig plans to expand coverage to additional sports and deepen its presence in existing markets. The company will also launch new features, including leaderboards, group contests, and head-to-head trading. Additionally, Novig aims to support fiat on-ramps such as debit and credit card payments, launch a full-featured web app, and scale hiring across its engineering, product, and growth teams.

“Novig sits at the center of several key secular trends in gaming and entertainment, namely that consumers increasingly are spending their time, energy, and attention with financial products. The Novig team brings the most sophisticated and nuanced perspective to sports prediction markets. They not only deeply understand their target customer, but are building a system that is more fair, community-oriented, rewarding, and well, fun,” said Fawzi Itani, Principal at Forerunner.