Ready player Z: 28% of Gen Z spend on gaming

Summary

• 28% of Gen Z spent money on video or online games in the three-month period ending August 2026.
• Gen Z gaming spending rates are over twice the rate of Gen X.
• Gen Z spends more than three and a half times the amount Baby Boomers spend on video games.
• Gen Z spending on video and online games is nearly twice that of Gen X.
• Gen Z video and online gaming spending grew approximately 20% year-over-year in August 2026.
• Gen Z gaming spending rose more than 30% in the year prior to August 2026.
• Fewer than one in 15 Baby Boomers have video game spending.
• 23% of Younger Millennials have video game spending.
• About one in five Older Millennials spend on video games.
• The data is derived from aggregated \& anonymized Bank of America transaction data from US Retail, Preferred, Small Business, \& Wealth Management clients.
• The analysis includes spending from total credit card, debit card, ACH, wires, bill pay, business/peer-to-peer, cash, \& checks.
• Gen Z in the analysis includes individuals born after 1995 who are 18 years or older.
• Younger Millennials are defined as born between 1989 \& 1995.
• Older Millennials are defined as born between 1978 \& 1988.
• Gen Xers are defined as born between 1965 \& 1977.
• Baby Boomers are defined as born between 1946 \& 1964.
• Bank of America Institute is a think tank dedicated to uncovering insights on the economy, sustainability, \& global transformation.
• The report was published on October 2, 2026.
• Liz Everett Krisberg serves as Head of Bank of America Institute.
• David Michael Tinsley serves as Senior Economist at Bank of America Institute.