Gaming study: 35% pay with wallets like Skrill

Digital wallets have become a standard way to pay for games. In a new Paysafe study, 35% of gamers say they use wallets such as Skrill for gaming purchases. Only debit cards are used more often.

The study

Paysafe published the results on 25 August 2026 as “The Experience Economy Report 2026: Video Gaming”. Sapio Research surveyed 5,000 people online in June and July 2026, all of whom had played video games and bought something gaming-⁠related in the past twelve months. The countries were the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Poland and Romania. Source: Paysafe press release.

Keep in mind that Paysafe owns Skrill and Neteller, so it has an interest in wallets doing well. The release doesn’t give results per country or a margin of error.

How gamers pay

The most common purchases were mobile games (53%), full digital games (43%) and subscriptions (39%). 29% of respondents called themselves high or very high monthly spenders.

Payment trouble costs sales

The most striking number: 64% have abandoned a gaming purchase because of a payment problem. Fraud is the other big topic. 36% name fraud protection as the most important factor when paying, and 65% say fraud worries sometimes make them hesitate.

84% would like one wallet that handles gaming and entertainment purchases in one place, and 46% say they would spend more with a faster or easier checkout.

What we take from it

The reasons people give for wallets match what we hear from customers: you don’t type card details into every shop, you keep gaming money separate from your main account, and you see every purchase in one list. That separation also helps if you want to keep your spending in check.

If you pay for games with a wallet, switch on two-⁠factor login and use a separate email address for the account. Sign up for Skrill through eWO and you also get our extras, listed on our Skrill page.