Data Uncovers U.S. States With Most Cheaters in Gaming: Is Georgia Here?
New data reveals which states harbor the most video game cheaters
Key Findings:
New study analyzing Google search data reveals Wyoming as the state with the most video game cheaters
Wyoming is named the state with the most cheaters, with Alaska and Vermont not far behind. Pennsylvania scores the lowest, just below California
Gaming expert warns about detrimental effects of cheating in multiplayer games, stresses need for fair play to maintain healthy gaming communities
From Pac-Man’s warp tunnels to today’s aimbots, cheating in video games is as old as the medium itself. But which US states are home to the most digital tricksters?
According to survey data published last year, a massive 57% of gamers admitted to using cheats at some point during their gaming career. “This staggering number shows just how prevalent of a problem this is in the community,” says Al Alof from Chick’s Gold, an online virtual goods marketplace for games.
With this problem in mind, Alof and his team set out to discover which US state cheats the most at video games. After using Ahrefs to pinpoint the search terms cheaters were using, they analyzed Google Ads data to see how many times each search term had been Googled in each state. After adjusting the numbers to account for population size, they were then able to rank the states from the most to the least number of cheaters.
The US States Who Cheat The Most At Gaming
The Chick’s Gold team collected search volume data and adjusted it using population figures from the Google population index. This allowed them to calculate the number of cheat-related queries per 100,000 residents, providing a fair comparison across states of different sizes.
Table 1: Top 10 US States with the Highest Rate of Cheat-Related Searches in Gaming
Rank
State
Population
Average Monthly Search Volume Per State
Queries Per 100000 Residents
1
Wyoming
584,057
60
10.27296993
2
Alaska
733,406
70
9.544508771
3
Vermont
647,464
60
9.266924493
4
North Dakota
783,926
70
8.929414256
5
Hawaii
1,435,138
90
6.271173922
6
Montana
1,132,812
70
6.179313072
7
Delaware
1,031,890
60
5.814573259
8
Rhode Island
1,095,962
60
5.474642369
9
South Dakota
919,318
50
5.438814425
10
Maine
1,395,722
70
5.015325401
What The Data Says
Wyoming tops the list with a score of 10, the only state to score in the double digits.
Alaska and Vermont come in second and third, respectively, both scoring 9.
5 is a popular score, with Delaware, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Maine all scoring similarly in the bottom half of the table.
Hawaii has the highest average monthly search volume but scores lower on the table due to its higher number of residents.
The top four on the table have significantly lower populations, showing that the density of searches is much higher in these states.
Why Might Gamers In These States Be Likely To Cheat?
Access to High-Speed Internet: In rural areas, access to high-speed Internet can be limited or inconsistent. Gamers in these states might face challenges like slower download speeds or lag during online gameplay. “To compensate, some may turn to cheats to level the playing field or progress more quickly, especially in multiplayer games,” Alof says.
Community and Social Interaction: In smaller communities, gaming communities might be tighter-knit and more focused on specific games or genres. This could create a culture where sharing tips, tricks, and cheats becomes more common as a way to engage with others and improve gameplay.
Long Winter Seasons: States like Alaska and Vermont experience long winters, which can limit outdoor activities for extended periods. Video games can be a popular indoor pastime during these seasons, potentially increasing interest in optimizing gameplay through cheats.
The US States Who Cheat The Least At Gaming
On the flip side, let’s take a look at the states where gamers seemingly prefer playing by the rules.
Table 2: Bottom 10 US States Ranked by Cheat-Related Gaming Searches per 100,000 Residents
Rank
State
Population
Average Monthly Search Volume Per State
Queries Per 100000 Residents
40
Massachusetts
7,001,399
160
2.285257561
41
Texas
30,503,301
690
2.262050261
42
Michigan
10,037,261
220
2.191833011
43
Arizona
7,431,344
160
2.153042572
44
New Jersey
9,290,841
200
2.152657655
45
Illinois
12,549,689
270
2.151447737
46
Florida
22,610,726
480
2.12288628
47
North Carolina
10,835,491
230
2.122654156
48
Ohio
11,785,935
240
2.036325502
49
California
38,965,193
760
1.950458708
50
Pennsylvania
12,961,683
240
1.8516114
What The Data Says
Pennsylvania scores lowest overall, with just 1 search per 100,000. California is the only other state to score 1, just slightly higher than Pennsylvania.
Scores in the second table are much more uniform, with no state scoring above a 2.
The second table features many of the states with higher populations, including California, the most populous state in the USA.
Though the average search volumes are higher on this table, when spread out across the larger populations of these states, the average number of people searching for cheat codes was lower.
Al Alof of Chick’s Gold commented:
“There are some cheat codes gamers generally view as ‘okay,’ often used in single-player games, like the famous ‘motherlode’ cheat code used by The Sims players to generate more money. The community generally accepts these because they don’t disadvantage other players. The real problem comes when players start cheating in multiplayer games like Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto. This cheating undermines the fundamental principles of fair play and integrity essential to creating a healthy gaming environment.
“Cheating can frustrate players who adhere to the rules, diminish competitive spirit, and damage the game’s reputation. The developers of League of Legends, for example, have had to implement several features aimed at reducing the number of cheats in the game, including their new software, Vanguard. Creating a healthy, non-toxic community around your multiplayer game is hard, but at its core, it starts with not tolerating cheating.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-19 18:26:00
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