Growth of China’s mobile gaming market, the world’s largest, slowed significantly in 2018 after concerns over addiction and myopia among children led to a nine-month moratorium on government approvals.

Figures from China-based Gamma Data showed the sector’s revenue grew 15.4 per cent to CNY134 billion ($19.8 billion) in 2018 compared with a 41.7 per cent year-on-year increase in 2017, China Daily reported.

Mobile accounted for more than 60 per cent of total online game revenue.

The lack of new releases coming into the market stymied purchases of games. Analysts also say mobile gaming is reaching a saturation point, with more than 600 million users in the country.

China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television restarted the game approvals process in late December 2018.

Beijing-based iResearch expects the mobile gaming industry to recover moderately in 2019, with growth still below 20 per cent. The company estimates at least 3,000 games weren’t approved in 2018, the newspaper said.

Liu Wei, an analyst with the market research company, told China Daily: “Local authorities will continue new approvals, which will be a major boon to the gaming market. While the gaming sector is still under a regulatory environment of tight controls of total video games numbers, it will take a while for gaming companies to adapt to the new environment and make moves accordingly.”