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Some 24 million gamers in the United Arab Emirates — more than 67% of the region’s population — and millions upon millions more around the world await the first ever Olympic Esports Games (produced by the IOC) to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2027.

If the idea of gaming fanatics, fans and followers of all ages and gender, from every country and culture, tuning in to watch professional gamers compete on a screen sounds strange to you, you’re not alone. But it’s happening. The global interactive entertainment following has shifted in a profound way. Should your brand be getting into the game to score in this massive market?

Maybe. Maybe not. But if you haven’t looked into this global phenomenon, you really should. Odds are your ideal customer profile, or at least the person who influences buying decisions, is a gamer. There are 3.6 billion gamers, including over two billion mobile gamers, in the world today. In comparison, the global population of golfers is around 108 million.

In real dollars, the global online gaming market is projected to grow from $225 billion this year to $424 billion by 2032, according to Boston Consulting Group. Gamification is expected to hit $172 billion by 2030. Worldwide revenue generated from Esports alone is predicted to reach $1.86 billion this year. Ad revenue can bring PC and console games $2 billion to $3 billion in incremental growth by 2028.

“The gaming industry is at a pivotal moment, with everyone asking the same question, ‘How do we gain momentum?’” said Ernesto Pagano, a BCG managing director and partner. “Although returning to pre-pandemic growth rates may be challenging, gaming remains the most immersive and enduring entertainment medium.”

Momentum comes in the form of executing new monetization strategies, reaching untapped markets, and engaging new audiences across segments. The gaming industry is ripe for marketers to drive content consumption, customer attachment and brand affinity.

The CMO Council has crafted a strategic brief on this massive yet overlooked opportunity. The strategic brief provides plenty of stats and facts on everything from taking advantage of advertising and event sponsorships to entering global gaming markets, such as China, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Download The Modern Online Gaming Phenomenon Fuels Digital Marketing Fervor.

Hold on. Wait a minute. Gamers are just kids with little disposable income, right? Forget what you think you know and just look at the data. Reports show around 46% of global gamers are female. The adult demographic (25-34 years old) had the highest market share last year, while middle-aged people (35-54 years old) are projected to have the highest growth rate. Some 43% of gamers in emerging economies plan to increase their playing time in the future, compared with 19% in developed economies.

Those are broad demographic strokes, but AI now gives marketers an incredibly granular view of the gamer. Gamers can be individually identifiable, their playing habits known. Marketers can learn where their interests lie (i.e., what games they play), how often they play, who they play with. Do you see your customer?

The evolving global gaming ecosystem offers a host of ways brand marketers can connect directly with new audiences and drive revenue, such as published content, embedded advertising, hosting games, sponsorship, strategic investment, in-game micro-transactions, licensing and merchandising, subscription services. Gamification can also be a vehicle for customer education, sales force motivation, and employee incentivization.

The diversity of opportunities mirrors the diversity of the gaming industry itself. Gamers can be found in a variety of game types, from multiplayer online role-playing to first-person shooter to real-time strategy to online gambling. Games are played over PCs, powerful consoles, mobile devices, smart TVs, immersive virtual reality headsets, etc.

Getting into the game will require marketers to do some information gathering. There are some big conferences coming up. The GDC Festival of Gaming, where the global B2B games industry comes together, will be happening in San Francisco from March 9 to 13 next year. The event is a big, bold move by Informa to bring together a much broader, global ecosystem of B2B gaming stakeholders. From design and code to publishing, marketing, and investment, it’s a place to learn, connect, collaborate, and shape the future of games, says Informa.

Other gaming events, not necessarily just for game developers, that should be on your radar include: MGS in San Francisco, which focuses on mobile game growth and marketing strategies; Tokyo Game Show, which showcases international titles; Gamescom in Cologne, Germany; and, of course, Comic-Con in San Diego. Download the CMO Council strategic brief for a more comprehensive list.

Some of the major vendor names in this space are Electronic Arts (which is being acquired by Saudi Arabia for $55 billion), Activision Blizzard Entertainment, SEGA, Sony, Ubisoft, Apple, Rovio, NCSOFT, and many others.

“The gaming industry is navigating a new playing field with shifting rules,” said Giorgo Paizanis, a Boston Consulting Group partner. “The levers for growth are still there but they’ve evolved. Companies that think creatively and move swiftly will discover that success remains achievable.”