Online gambling leads the way in UK market

Online gambling now accounts for 33% of all betting and gaming in the UK, according to new data from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).

Between April 2015 and March 2016, online gaming operators generated a gross gambling yield (GGY) of £4.5 billion (€5.3 billion/$5.6 billion).

In comparison, the UK National Lottery collected £3.4 billion in the same period, while high street betting came in at £3.3 billion and traditional casinos £1 billion.

Of the total generated by online gambling, £2.6 billion came from casino games, with £1.6 billion from betting and £1.8 billion from slots.

The UKGC reports also showed that as of September this year, there were 8,709 betting shops in the UK, 1.8% fewer than last year. The number of gaming machines fell 0.4% to 167,839, while, as of March 2016, B2 gaming machine count dropped by 0.9% to 34,884.

In addition, as of September 2016, the amount of bingo premises fell 4.3% year-on-year to 575, while the total number of people employed in the UK gambling industry was down 1.5% on March 2015 to 104,896.

James Green, programme director at the UKGC, said “Our latest statistics show that with the growth in online gambling the industry is increasingly taking a creative approach to using technology to engage consumers.

“As the online sector grows operators will also need to demonstrate that they are taking an equally innovative approach to ensuring gambling is safe for all online consumers.”

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