Play time is over for youngsters in China – except when the government dictates (Picture:Getty)

Under-18s in China will be limited to three hours of online gaming a week as the state cracks down on what it calls ‘spiritual opium’.

Youngsters will only be able to play for an hour a day from 8pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The strict new rules were announced by the Xinhua state news agency today after parents reported gaming addiction was getting in the way of their children’s studies and health.

Game makers will be required to set up anti-addiction and real-name verification systems and ‘resolutely’ implement them.

China’s games regulator the National Press and Publication Administration said it would step up inspections of companies to ensure the time limits were being enforced.

It added that parents and teachers can play key roles in curbing gaming addiction.

An administration spokesperson said: ‘Teenagers are the future of our motherland. Protecting the physical and mental health of minors is related to the people’s vital interests, and relates to the cultivation of the younger generation in the era of national rejuvenation.’

The restrictions, which apply to any devices including phones, go far beyond rules made in 2019 when China cut playing time to 90 minutes on any day and three hours on holidays.