Free-to-play games are everywhere — but how much are Brits really spending? We investigate in-app purchases, dopamine loops, and the slippery slope to gambling.
What Your Puzzle Game Habit Might Be Costing You
You were just killing time, scrolling through your Instagram, and saw another “free” puzzle game ad where you have to use your brain and logic to save a character or something like that.
Maybe you were on your lunch break, aimlessly swiping through your phone when you landed on Jigsaw Planet — a free website packed with calming, pastel-toned jigsaw puzzles uploaded by strangers across the world. A few clicks, a satisfying “snap” of pieces falling into place, and you felt… fine. Grounded, even.
Or maybe it was CrazyGames — that slightly clunky-looking but irresistible portal of free browser games where you tried to outwit a sliding block puzzle or escape a digital maze. Or the Washington Post puzzle hub, which markets its games as a wholesome act of self-care: games you can feel good about.
So far, so innocent.
But scroll a little further, and you’ll hit a different kind of game. The kind that flashes “Spin Now!” buttons and characters who beg for help in timed, panic-inducing scenarios. The kind that promise to be just a game — and yet somehow end up charging your card £7.99 for a “starter pack.”
This is the new normal. And in the UK, it’s raking in billions.
Free to Play. Expensive to Quit.
The economics of “free” games are anything but. The freemium model — give the game away, then charge for add-ons — now dominates the mobile gaming industry. It thrives on friction: you hit a wall, run out of energy, or get stuck just before a level’s final boss. Want to keep going? That’ll be 99p.
Individually, these purchases feel trivial. But in aggregate, they’re huge. According to Data.ai, Brits spent £2.3 billion on mobile game purchases in 2024 alone — much of it in so-called “free” apps. The top earners? Games like Candy Crush Saga, Coin Master, and Royal Match — all masters of small transactions delivered at just the right moment.
In a 2024 study, researchers confirmed that players often underestimate or forget how much they’ve spent on free-to-play games due to the fragmentation of payments (Spicer et al., 2024).
Coin Master and the Casino Disguised as Candy
Coin Master doesn’t look like a gambling app. Its visuals are cartoonish, its mechanics simple: spin a wheel, earn coins, build a village. But scratch the surface, and the mechanics echo slot machines — complete with near-misses, randomised rewards, and purchasable spins.
It’s not the only one. Mobile puzzle games like Royal Match or Homescapes offer in-game currencies, “limited time” offers, and booster packs that can be bought for real cash. Some even include elements like scratchcards, prize wheels, or treasure chests — all designed to capitalise on the same dopamine-seeking behaviours as real-money gambling.
“These games replicate the illusion of control and random reinforcement found in gambling environments,” say researchers studying psychological game design (Huțul et al., 2024).
Why We Keep Spending — Even When We Know Better
Behavioural psychology explains a lot of it. These games exploit deeply human tendencies:
- The sunk cost fallacy — “I’ve already put in time and money, I might as well keep going.”
- Intermittent reinforcement — small, unpredictable rewards that keep us hooked.
- Urgency mechanics — countdown timers and limited bundles that trigger FOMO.
- Cognitive ease — you don’t notice the £1.79 charge because Apple Pay does it in a thumb tap.
“Even users who don’t consider themselves gamblers show compulsive-like spending in mobile games,” researchers have found (King & Delfabbro, 2019).
And it doesn’t just affect kids or teens. In a survey of UK adults, nearly 30% of respondents said they’d spent money on a mobile game without intending to — or even realising — they had done so.
Loot Boxes: The Gateway Gamble?
Then there are loot boxes — virtual containers filled with mystery rewards, purchasable for real-world money. You don’t know what you’ll get, only what you might get.
Sound familiar? It’s functionally identical to a scratchcard. Yet because the rewards are “in-game items” and not cash, they dodge gambling regulation in most cases.
Research shows a clear link between loot box spending and problem gambling symptoms, even among players who don’t otherwise gamble (Etchells et al., 2022).
“I Just Wanted Something to Do”
Why does this matter? Because most people aren’t spending to win. They’re spending to feel okay. The most common reason cited for playing mobile games isn’t thrill-seeking — it’s boredom, stress relief, or routine.
That’s what makes platforms like Jigsaw Planet or Jigsaw Explorer so important in contrast: they offer puzzles for pleasure’s sake — no monetisation, no upgrades, no endless nudges to spend.
When compared with casual puzzle games, gambling-style mobile apps show higher dissociation and immersion, particularly among users already at risk of addiction (Murch et al., 2024).
In other words: some games calm you down. Others train you to chase the next fix.
The Line Between Games and Gambling Is Thinner Than Ever
The UK Gambling Commission has said loot boxes and similar in-game mechanics warrant regulation — but as of now, the technicality that players can’t “cash out” keeps many of these games outside its reach.
Consumer groups, including the Children’s Commissioner and the House of Lords, have called for stronger rules, citing evidence that these games condition young players to spend and take financial risks from an early age.
“The monetisation of game design has outpaced regulation — particularly where games don’t offer cash rewards but still mimic gambling,” says researcher David Zendle (Xiao, 2023).
So, How Much Are Brits Really Spending on “Free” Games?
While mobile games often advertise as “free to play,” the reality is far from costless. A 2024 report by TSB found that UK gamers spend an average of £540 per year on gaming, including £22 per month on in-game purchases and £23 on subscriptions.
Puzzle games, like Royal Match or Evony, are among the most popular — and monetised — genres.
With 79% of mobile games using in-app purchases and average user spend nearing £365 per year, “casual” gaming can quickly become a costly habit, especially when compared to traditional gambling spend.
UK Gamer Spending Breakdown
| Category | Stat / Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Avg. annual gamer spend | £540 | TSB 2024 |
| Monthly in-game purchases | £22 | TSB 2024 |
| Monthly subscription spend | £23 | TSB 2024 |
| Mobile game market size (2024) | £1.7 billion | UKIE / PocketGamer |
| Avg. spend per mobile user (ARPU) | £365 | AllCorrect Games |
| % of games with in-app purchases | 79% | ComeToPlay |
| Most popular mobile genre | Puzzle games (15% of users) | YouGov |
Final Puzzle: Are You Still Just Playing?
It starts with a puzzle. A quiet moment, a swipe, a bit of joy. But if you’ve ever looked at your phone bill and thought, Wait — how did I spend that much on a free game?, you’re not alone.
These aren’t just games anymore. They’re products built around behavioural manipulation. And for all the fun they offer, the cost of play is increasingly hidden in plain sight.
So the next time a cute character begs you to “Save the Hero!”, ask yourself: what game are you really playing — and who’s really winning?
