A new survey by Adjust has found that 41 per cent of mobile game players have used a bot to win.
Average spending for these bots is $65. However, of all generation Z respondents, 12 per cent have paid more than $200 for a bot.
The majority of respondents – 63 per cent – claimed that games are negatively impacted through the use of bots, both in its economy and community. Furthermore, 74 per cent of those that feel this way are Generation Y users while 61 per cent play mobile games daily.
On top of this, 31 per cent of people surveyed insist they always play against a bot. Interestingly, in terms of gender, the majority of US mobile gamers are female. However, only 28 per cent surveyed who have used a bot were female, against 72 per cent of males.
No fair
Overall, 39 per cent of respondents believe bots ruin mobile games while a further 37 per cent claim it isn't fair that players can use bots. However, 27 per cent think bots should be allowed, and 28 per cent admitted they would use a bot if they knew others were too.
"Bots not only negatively impact the social experience by taking the fun out of competing, but they also fundamentally damage the business model of the game," said Unbotify CEO and co-founder Yaron Oliker.
"First, you lose your most valuable users, which decreases revenue and could even damage your reputation. Secondly, people who pay for bots don't make in-game purchases, also leading to loss of app revenue."
N3TWORK COO Dan Barnes added: "Protecting the integrity of our leaderboards, which in some cases lead to cash payouts, is essential to maintaining competitive viability and a fun user experience in our games.
"Keeping bots from gameplay is an ever-evolving challenge, and Unbotify has been an essential partner in making sure our players are all playing by the same rules. Like other types of fraud, it requires diligence and rigorous cybersecurity to completely eliminate – which is Unbotify's expertise."
Last month, Adjust hired Ville Mikkola to head up the Coalition against ad fraud.
