British Gambling Market Continues Upward Trajectory in Q2 2024

The UK Gambling Commission has published its latest statistics on gambling activities across Britain, covering both online and land-based gambling sectors.

This data, compiled from licensed operators, spans from March 2020 through September 2024 and examines trends among Licensed Betting Operators (LBOs) on British high streets and digital platforms.

During the second quarter (Q2) of the financial year, from July to September 2024, online gambling gross gambling yield (GGY) climbed to £1.32 billion ($1.71 billion), marking an 11% rise from the same period in the previous year. The online sector recorded a significant rise in total bets and spins, increasing by 12% year-over-year to reach a staggering 25.2 billion. Monthly active accounts also rose by 8%, extending a three-quarter streak of consistent growth.

Real event betting revenue (GGY) also showed gains, rising by 6% year-over-year to £453 million, despite a 10% decrease in the number of bets placed. Slots saw even stronger growth, with GGY up 16% year-on-year, reaching £680 million. Active accounts also increased by 16%, hitting a new high of 4.4 million per month, though the Gambling Commission noted that “reclassification of certain products may have contributed to this uptick.”

Additionally, the number of longer online slots sessions increased, with 10 million sessions surpassing one hour, representing a 9% year-on-year rise. However, average session duration remained constant at 17 minutes, and the GGY per session showed a slight decrease, from £4.20 to £4.13.

On the other hand, land-based LBOs reported a slight downturn, with GGY declining by 1% to £533 million. The volume of total bets and spins stayed consistent at 3.1 billion.

The Gambling Commission has advised caution in interpreting these numbers, especially given potential product reclassifications and the inherent challenges in tracking active accounts across various gambling categories. 

By fLEXI tEAM