UKGC Releases New Data Covering Five-Year Trends

UKGC Releases New Data Covering Five-Year Trends

The UK Gambling Commission has released new data covering activity across the British gambling sector between March 2020 and March 2025. This latest report focuses on the final quarter of the 2024–2025 financial year. It compares it with the same quarter in the previous year, providing a detailed look at the evolving relationship between consumers and gambling products across both online and retail channels.

The findings reflect continuous adjustments in player behavior, product engagement, and revenue distribution between land-based and remote platforms. While certain verticals recorded measurable increases in participation and spending, others faced signs of contraction. The data serves not only as a record of financial outcomes but also as an indicator of how consumer habits and industry positioning have developed over five years marked by regulatory reform and changing digital preferences.

The total online Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) recorded from January to March 2025 stood at £1.45 billion. This marks a 7% increase over the equivalent quarter of the previous financial year. The growth in yield coincided with a 5% rise in total bets and spins across all online products, which reached 25.2 billion. Average monthly account activity also increased by 2%, with the quarter averaging 13.5 million active user accounts.

These figures indicate continued stability in online gambling activity, with player engagement showing incremental growth rather than abrupt shifts. While the data does not specify the exact drivers of this increase, a combination of product availability, platform accessibility, and player retention efforts may be contributing factors.

Real event betting, a major category within online gambling, saw a 5% year-on-year increase in GGY, reaching £596 million. However, this occurred alongside a 1% decline in total bets and a 2% drop in average monthly account activity. This divergence suggests that, although overall spending grew, participation may have concentrated among fewer users or reflected changes in bet sizing rather than broader engagement.

Slots, which continue to make up a significant portion of online casino activity, generated a GGY of £689 million for the quarter—a rise of 11% compared to the same period a year earlier. Total spins rose by 6% to 23.4 billion, and monthly active accounts in this segment also increased by 6%, averaging 4.5 million users. These figures indicate that slots remain a consistent revenue driver within the online environment and continue to attract a broad user base.

One point of interest within the slots category is the number of sessions lasting over an hour, which rose by 5% to 10.1 million during the quarter. Despite this growth in long-duration sessions, the average session length held steady at 17 minutes. Approximately 6% of all sessions exceeded the one-hour mark, mirroring the same percentage from the previous year's Q4. This consistency could indicate that extended play patterns are becoming a stable part of user behavior rather than an outlier.

The data concerning Licensed Betting Operators (LBOs)—primarily the betting shops on high streets—presents a different picture. GGY from retail operations declined by 3% year-on-year, totalling £554 million for the quarter. The total number of bets and spins placed through these outlets decreased by 5%, landing at 3.1 billion.

These declines point toward ongoing structural challenges facing land-based operators. Although some recovery has occurred following pandemic-related disruptions, the current figures suggest that footfall and engagement have not fully returned to pre-2020 patterns. While seasonal or short-term factors may influence quarterly performance, the consistent downward trend hints at more permanent consumer preferences and industry structure changes.

The data published by the Gambling Commission offers more than just quarterly comparisons. It helps build a broader picture of how the British gambling landscape adapts in response to long-term shifts. Several themes emerge from this latest update.

First, digital platforms continue to absorb market share, with user activity and GGY showing gradual but sustained growth across major product categories. The gains in slots, in particular, illustrate the strength of this segment and its central role within operator portfolios. The rise in longer-duration play sessions may also attract further regulatory interest, particularly in discussions around player protection and time management tools.

Second, the contrast between online growth and retail decline is becoming more pronounced. As in-person betting facilities face decreasing volume, operators invested in both channels may need to reevaluate their allocation of resources. For those focused solely on physical venues, adapting to a changing market will likely require investment in complementary online offerings or revised operational strategies.

Third, the mixed results within real event betting raise questions about consumer behavior during the quarter. The increase in GGY, alongside fewer bets and reduced user activity, suggests possible shifts in betting strategy, perhaps tied to event availability or changes in promotional practices. Monitoring this pattern in subsequent quarters will be important to determine whether it reflects a broader trend or a one-off fluctuation.

In sum, the UKGC's latest figures show a market that is neither stagnating nor shifting dramatically but rather continuing to evolve at a measured pace. The data clearly indicates that while online platforms remain on a growth path, retail operations may continue to face contraction unless strategic adjustments are made. For operators, regulators, and observers, these patterns will likely influence policy debate and commercial decision-making in the months ahead.