The word gaming still conjures up familiar images for many people: teenagers glued to screens, parents telling children to turn the console off, or the long-running argument that video games are little more than a distraction. Yet anyone who walked into the Department of Youth and Culture’s first Level Up Anguilla: Gaming, Growth and Opportunity Forum on Wednesday, 15th July 2026, quickly realised that the conversation extended far beyond simply playing games. It was about transforming a shared passion into skills, careers and opportunities for Anguilla’s future.
Hosted by the Department of Youth and Culture after the idea was proposed by Anguillian gamer and computer science graduate Mmelona Hughes, the forum asked: what if gaming is not something young people need to be pulled away from, but something worth building upon?
It is an easy topic to dismiss until one considers the numbers. Gaming today is no niche hobby. More than 3.4 billion people worldwide play games in some form, whether on a mobile phone during a lunch break or on a console after work. The global games industry has grown into a market worth more than US$200 billion, exceeding the combined revenues of the film and music industries. Those figures alone make it difficult to continue treating gaming as a passing trend.
That broader perspective formed the heart of the forum’s opening session, Gaming Today and Why It Matters, led by a panel of young Anguillians who understand the industry not only as players but as people studying and working in digital media, technology and marketing.
Delivering remarks on behalf of Hughes, National Youth Ambassadors Corps member Angelique Rogers-De Leon reflected on how the entire event began with what seemed like a simple personal ambition.
“A few months ago, I stood up to introduce myself,” Hughes wrote. “I didn’t just share my job title or my background in computer science. I shared my real, unfiltered passion that I am an active, lifelong gamer, and that my ultimate dream is to build and run a game development company right here in Anguilla.”
She admitted that speaking openly about gaming in a professional setting felt risky because people often reduce it to children “passing time on the porch”. Instead, she urged those present to recognise the vast network of software engineers, artists, storytellers, designers and project managers behind every successful game.
“There is absolutely no reason why the next video game, the next groundbreaking piece of digital art, or the next innovative software shouldn’t be built by Anguillian hands on Anguillian soil,” her remarks declared.
That optimism was echoed by Ministerial Assistant Jeison Bryan, who challenged attendees to think beyond consoles and controllers.
“We have the potential to position ourselves as a regional leader in digital innovation and esports,” he said. “By investing in digital skills, reliable technology infrastructure and youth development, we are investing in the economy of the future.”
Bryan stressed that success within gaming requires discipline, teamwork, communication, resilience and critical thinking — qualities valued by employers across every profession. For government, he said, supporting digital education and innovation is ultimately about creating employment opportunities and preparing young people for industries that continue to expand.
The most refreshing aspect of the discussion was its willingness to confront the stereotypes surrounding gaming head-on.
Panelists acknowledged the familiar claims that video games encourage violence, waste time or appeal only to boys before carefully dismantling each one. Research, they explained, does not support the simplistic idea that games cause violent behaviour, while many modern titles focus entirely on creativity, problem-solving or storytelling rather than combat.
Equally important was the reminder that gaming, like any hobby, benefits from balance. Healthy gaming means homework, sleep, family time, exercise and responsibilities come first, with games becoming part of a well-managed lifestyle rather than replacing it.
Listening to the discussion, one could not help but reflect on how many people unknowingly already consider themselves gamers. Whether it is Candy Crush during a coffee break or Monopoly Go on a lunch hour, millions participate in gaming without identifying with the label.
The forum also challenged another misconception — that gaming is an isolated activity.
Today’s gaming communities stretch across continents through online friendships, tournaments, streaming platforms and collaborative projects. Young Anguillians spoke enthusiastically about the possibility of creating local gaming clubs, conventions and community events capable of attracting visitors from across the Caribbean while encouraging home-grown talent.
That idea naturally led to perhaps the most significant discussion of the morning: careers.
Gaming is no longer limited to professional players chasing tournament prizes. Behind every title are programmers, software engineers, animators, sound designers, cybersecurity specialists, digital artists, marketers, content creators, commentators and project managers. Those careers are becoming increasingly accessible as technology advances and remote work expands.
Anguilla already possesses the raw ingredients needed to participate. Everything is digital – all that is needed is a few PCs. There are no natural resources involved.
That sentiment inspired discussion about introducing more coding and software development into schools, strengthening STEM education and equipping students with skills that extend well beyond gaming itself.
In truth, this first forum may prove less significant for the games discussed than for the questions it dared to ask.
Can gaming become another avenue for entrepreneurship? Could digital creativity one day complement tourism as part of Anguilla’s economy? Will a teenager fascinated by Minecraft today become tomorrow’s software engineer or game developer?
Those questions remain unanswered, but they are now firmly on the table.
If Level Up Anguilla succeeds in anything, it may simply be changing the conversation. Instead of asking whether young people spend too much time gaming, the more useful question is whether Anguilla is doing enough to harness the creativity, technological curiosity and entrepreneurial potential already sitting behind those screens.
In Part Two of this series, we dive deeper into the careers driving the multi-billion-dollar gaming industry and examine why Anguilla could be better positioned than many realise to claim a place in the digital economy.
By Janissa Fleming
