Where is the smart money going?
When most people hear the term ‘gaming’, the thought that pops to mind isn’t investing. But what if the world of video games and financial investing were converging? Could that create exciting new opportunities for the savvy investor?
Gaming is now one of the most profitable industries in the world.
The global video game market size was valued at USD 298.98 billion in 2024 and is expected to hit $600.74 billion by 2030 — more than doubling in less than a decade.
All this growth has created an interesting intersection between two traditionally separate sectors — gaming and finance. Platforms focused on financial education and investing like mtgal.com/ggongmoney are already tapping into gaming mechanics to make learning about money management more engaging.
Here’s why that intersection is so interesting.
First, let’s see how we got here…
The video gaming industry has ballooned to become one of the most valuable industries in the world. And here’s how it got there:
In 2024, the global video game market size is estimated at USD 298.98 billion.
Mobile gaming is an enormous market.
Nearly half of that total market value comes from mobile gaming. And that segment of the market is growing the fastest. Worldwide smartphone penetration and low-cost data plans have made mobile games ubiquitous. They generate the bulk of gaming’s profits and will continue to do so as smartphones get even more sophisticated.
Gaming as a service is here to stay.
But the big move isn’t in the games. It’s in the shift to “GaaS” (Gaming as a Service) as the business model du jour. Free-to-play games generate revenue through in-game purchases and ads. Subscriptions to gaming services will top $46 billion by 2025. All of this combines to make gaming a proven, profitable business.
Esports and pro-gaming tournaments now rival traditional sports in popularity.
Fans attend live gaming events in the thousands. Major brands compete for the opportunity to sponsor competitive gaming teams and tournaments. This opens up new revenue and monetization channels for successful gaming companies.
Advertising is no longer about interrupting people.
In a world where we all live in digital environments that seamlessly weave together work and play, advertising must adapt. Gaming, more than any other entertainment medium, has this opportunity baked into its DNA. The options for advertisers — and by extension gaming companies — are multiplying rapidly.
Gaming hardware, peripherals, and accessories have an enormous market.
On top of all of that, the physical tech that powers and enables this gaming universe is also a huge market. Headsets, gaming PCs, graphics cards, cloud gaming services, game streaming platforms. There are more opportunities to be invested in gaming than ever before.
Let’s narrow things down…
You can invest in gaming. But where?
The largest and most profitable segment of gaming is mobile gaming. Mobile gaming devices are ubiquitous, and the revenue generation models are proven. Free-to-play games with in-app purchases represent the best of both worlds for investors. You get huge installed bases of players with proven engagement habits.
There are other parts of the gaming universe that are seeing huge growth, such as:
- Gaming as a service
- Esports and competitive gaming
- Cloud gaming infrastructure
- In-game advertising platforms
All of these elements of the gaming ecosystem have a piece of the huge pie of the global video game market.
If you’re an investor, where should you focus? Let’s start with the most obvious target.
The No. 1 Gaming Investment Opportunity
Stocks in gaming companies are the best way to invest in the explosive growth of gaming.
Look for gaming stocks that have:
- Large and growing mobile game portfolios
- Cloud gaming infrastructure
- A track record of game launches that gain significant traction
Publicly-traded companies with a strong mix of these ingredients offer the most straightforward and reliable way to get exposure to the gaming boom.
Once you’ve got your list of potential gaming companies to invest in, it’s time to consider some adjacent options.
3 Game-Changing Adjacent Investment Opportunities
Look outside of gaming for companies that are heavily involved in the ecosystem.
Companies that are building out the infrastructure that the gaming industry runs on are huge investment opportunities in their own right. Semiconductors, cloud hosting, payment processing, and all of the elements of digital hardware play essential roles in gaming.
Another exciting set of investments are companies at the intersection of gaming and finance.
Think about what would happen if you could make learning about personal finance and investments as engaging as playing your favorite video game. Now consider the market opportunity for a company that could make that a reality.
Investing in the confluence of gaming and finance = the future
Gamifying financial education and investing tools and interfaces isn’t just a hypothetical. By 2025, gamification will be embedded in over 62% of new releases of financial tools and platforms.
62%! Let that number sink in.
Gaming is also a significant investment opportunity in its own right. From mobile gaming companies to hardware manufacturers and from cloud gaming services to eSports competitions and professional gaming.
But what if you could combine the two and get exposure to both?
If the idea of investing in this space excites you, let’s see how to do it.
How to Start Investing in the Gaming Boom
Start with stock.
The first, most obvious, and most straightforward place to invest in gaming is with publicly traded stocks of gaming companies. Look for strong mobile game portfolios. Cloud gaming infrastructure is a huge plus. The more diverse the revenue streams, the better.
Don’t be afraid to look outside of traditional gaming companies, either. Gaming ETFs are Exchange-Traded Funds that give you exposure to a basket of gaming-related companies. It’s like diversification without the work of picking individual stocks.
There are also plenty of investment opportunities for adjacent businesses.
Semiconductors that make the chips that power gaming devices. Cloud providers and platforms that make streaming services possible. Payment processors that enable in-app purchases and virtual transactions.
Any company that touches the gaming industry in some way is an investment opportunity. Gaming hardware manufacturers are often highly profitable. They also have tremendous potential as a result of the rapid technological advances in smartphones, streaming devices, and gaming tech.
Gamified financial education companies also deserve attention.
62% of new personal finance tools released in 2025 will use gamification. The convergence of financial literacy and gaming is a huge, untapped opportunity in the investment space. Consider platforms that are building gamified interfaces to engaging and teach people about money management.
Look for emerging platforms that are innovating in this area.
There are dozens of potential new companies to invest in that fall into this category. The good news is that there’s a lot of room for new entrants who can crack the code of making financial management as engaging as gaming.
Tracking the Market for the Future
Tracking new and exciting opportunities in the gaming sector is half the battle.
The gaming boom won’t slow down anytime soon. And new opportunities will continue to open up daily. To stay on top of new opportunities and new trends, track the market.
Newsletters like GameDiscoverCo’s M&A Tracker are goldmines of new opportunities as smaller gaming companies get scooped up by bigger ones.
Investment newsletters like M+R Reports are also great resources for new opportunities in gaming and other exciting areas of finance.
The best opportunities are still being discovered. By following market news, new M&A activity, and new investment ideas, you can get ahead of the crowd.
Ready to put all this info to work?
Do your homework. Track the market. Focus on the gaming sectors you think have the most potential.
The early movers into the streaming platform revolution were the big winners. The same opportunity exists in the continued gaming revolution.
There’s a lot of room for investment opportunities in this rapidly growing and shifting space. Gaming isn’t going away. The need for engaging financial education is acute. The intersection of these two realities is an opportunity you can’t afford to ignore.
