A report by games body the Casual Games Association has stated that the blossoming sector is currently worth $2.25 billion, and that it is growing by 20 per cent year on year, Gamesindustry reports.

As previous studies have suggested, women are more active casual games players, accounting for 74 per cent of the paying casual games market. In total, those who play such games spend between seven and 15 hours online per week, typically in the early evening or early afternoon.

Interestingly, the report also claims that on average a casual game is played for between five and 20 minutes, though it is also common for many games to be played back to back for several hours.

"The Casual Games Report offers some of the most interesting insight ever on the industry," the Casual Games Association’s MD Jessica Tams stated. "Already more people play casual games than any other type of video game and the industry continues to grow at a very healthy rate."