The UK Gambling Commission’s latest report highlights a significant growth in the online gambling sector, with gross gambling yield (GGY) reaching £1.32 billion for the third quarter ending in September 2024. This 11% year-on-year increase was largely driven by a record rise in online slots revenue, with a 16% jump in activity among players, as UK gamblers engage with digital gaming at unprecedented levels.

Record Slots Revenue and Increased Engagement

Slots GGY reached a new high of £680 million, with a notable 13% year-on-year increase in spins, reaching 23.3 billion for the quarter. The report notes that average monthly active accounts rose by 16% to 4.4 million, even as the average GGY per session dipped slightly from £4.20 to £4.13. The number of spins per session also saw a minor decrease, down from 147 to 142. Additionally, sessions lasting more than an hour grew by 9% year-on-year, totaling 10 million, with total sessions up by 18% to 164.7 million. While the length of each session remained at 17 minutes on average, the Gambling Commission noted that one operator’s reclassification of products into the slots category contributed to these record figures.

Shifts in Online Betting and Customer Interactions

Real event betting GGY rose 6% compared to last year, reaching £453 million, although the number of bets declined by 10%. The increase in GGY, despite fewer bets, suggests higher wagers per bet. Meanwhile, the average monthly active accounts for real event betting climbed by 9%, indicating sustained player interest. The data also showed that safer gambling interactions with customers saw a modest 1% increase to 3 million, while direct interactions between operators and players slightly decreased by 1%.

Decline in Retail Betting

Retail betting experienced a slight downturn, with a 1% decrease in GGY to £533 million. Over-the-counter (OTC) bets also fell by 6% to 134 million, and the GGY from OTC bets dropped by 8% to £152 million. In contrast, self-service betting terminals (SSBTs) saw increased activity, with a 9% rise in bets to 34 million and an 8% GGY increase to £101 million. Machine gaming in retail locations held steady, with a slight GGY increase of 0.2% to £281 million, and the average spend per machine session grew by 2% to £12.35.

These figures reflect data from Britain’s largest licensed operators, providing insights into consumer engagement trends across both online and retail gambling. The Gambling Commission noted that these figures are based on a subset of operators and may not be directly comparable with industry-wide data.

Sources:

“UK Gambling Commission Q3: Online GGY up 11% as slots revenue reaches record high“, igamingbusiness.com, October 31, 2024.

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