Editing Gamer (section)

{{Short description|Someone who plays games}}
{{About|people who play any type of game, especially video games|gamblers|Gambling|other uses}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{weasel|date=December 2021}}
[[File:RTX 2015 - Gaming (19824807853).jpg|thumb|Several gamers playing a [[multiplayer video game]]]]
{{Video Games}}
A '''gamer''' is someone who [[Player (game)|plays interactive games]], either [[video game]]s, tabletop [[role-playing games]], skill-based [[card game]]s, or any combination thereof, and who often plays for extended periods of time. Originally a hobby, gaming has evolved into a [[Professional gamer|profession]] for some, with some gamers routinely competing in games for money, prizes, or awards. In some countries, such as the US, UK, and Australia, the term "gaming" can refer to legalized [[gambling]], which can take both traditional and digital forms, such as through [[online gambling]]. There are many different gamer communities around the world. Since the advent of the Internet, many communities take the form of [[Internet forum]]s or [[YouTube]] or [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] [[virtual communities]], as well as [[Real life#As distinct from the Internet|in-person]] [[social clubs]]. In 2021, there were an estimated 3.24 billion gamers across the globe.<ref>{{cite web |title=Number of gamers worldwide |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/293304/number-video-gamers/ |website=[[Statista]] |access-date=8 November 2021 |archive-date=November 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108202710/https://www.statista.com/statistics/293304/number-video-gamers/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=What constitutes a "gamer" isn't defined on Statista, and primary sources are paywalled. This is an important number; please clarify, rather than deleting.|date=November 2021}}