Study: What is your late-night gaming session costing your boss?

Conn Mc Gillion Published 20/08/2026

Hopping on a game with friends can keep most players up far past their regular bedtime. So much so, that it can affect your boss and colleagues as well as yourself.

With nearly 5 million pre-orders worldwide and millions of gamers already gearing up for late-night play, The Wall Street Journal recently warned that Grand Theft Auto VI is “going to cause a work blackout”. Win.gg’s study underscores this prediction.

Key findings:

49% of employed U.S. gamers feel less productive at work after a late-night gaming session.
On average, they take a 2-hour productivity dip, adding up to $5.1 billion in lost productivity nationwide.
Maryland takes the biggest hit, with gamers losing 3.6 hours of productivity. Per person, this is equal to $132, and that totals to $145 million dollars statewide.
The average gamer sacrifices 2 hours of sleep for a night of gaming.

A late-night gaming session (i.e. anything past 10:30 p.m.) happens an average of three times a week among U.S. gamers, according to our survey of 2,000 employed gamers nationwide. With two hours of sleep lost, how does this lack of rest affect the following workday for the gamer?

49% of gamers take a hit to their productivity after a night of gaming

Nearly half (49%) say they notice a dip in productivity the next day, affecting an average of two hours of their workday. Reduced focus and concentration top the list of side effects, followed by needing noticeably more coffee or energy drinks, and starting the workday later than usual. But it’s costing more than just a few extra coffees and some concealer for those dark circles; on average, those two lost hours of productivity add up to about $75 per employee per day, our study reveals.

71% of gamers feel less productive in Nevada

Gamers in Maryland experience the longest drop in productivity after a late-night gaming session: an average of 3.6 hours is reported, costing $132 per person.

Nevada is the state where the most workers are affected, however. 71% of gamers report a loss of productivity after a night of gaming, of up to 2.3 hours. This leads to a loss of $75 per person.

Statewide, the costs add up quickly. Taking into account the estimated U.S. population that plays video games at least one hour per week, the share of working gamers affected, labor force participation rates per state, and average hourly wages per state, a single day of lost productivity in Nevada amounts to a staggering $72 million.

Shooter games are the biggest culprits, followed by esports players

The biggest culprits of lost productivity are the players who enjoy FPS games. Among shooter players, 51% report experiencing a drop in productivity, followed by 43% of esports players and 39% of mobile gamers.

However, 49% of gamers also believe that gaming breaks throughout the working day could actually help their overall productivity. 38% actually admit to sneaking in a game or two within the working day, for about 38 minutes on average per day.

Methodology

The Win.gg Late-Night Productivity Study focuses on how late-night gaming affects next-day productivity. We commissioned a survey of 2,000 working gamers across the United States. Of all respondents, 65% were male, 33% were female, 1% were non-binary, and 1% identified as other. The average age was 36 years.

The participants were asked a number of questions based around their gaming habits. We focused on what state they live in, the types of games they play, and how often they would play past 10.30 p.m. on work nights. Then, the second part of the survey focused on the consequences: whether they feel a loss in productivity after a late-night gaming session, how many hours they feel unproductive for in work, and if they actually play during work hours, while also recording the amount of time they would play during the workday.

We followed these steps to estimate the total economic impact of late-night gaming:

Amount of gamers: We estimated how many people game in each state by multiplying the state’s population by 64%, based on a 2025 report from the Entertainment Software Association. We narrow it down to working adults (age 16+) in the next step.
Employed gamers: We calculated how many of these gamers are currently in the workforce, by referencing each states labor workforce data (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 2025).
Productivity affected: Next, we applied the results of the survey, which showcased the amount of gamers who had lower productivity rates following a night of gaming.
Total economic loss: To finish off the study, we multiplied the number of gamers by their average hours of lost productivity and the average hourly wage in the state, in order to estimate the total cost lost. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 2025)

States excluded due to insufficient survey data: Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Conn Mc Gillion

About Conn Mc Gillion

Conn Mc Gillion is an editor and iGaming content specialist with experience across online casino & sweepstakes platforms. He has worked on US facing gambling and promotional content, focusing on clarity, compliance, and user-focused optimisation. Conn’s editorial approach prioritises transparency, accurate promotional breakdowns, and responsible play guidance.

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