UK Gambling Commission Reports 5% Year-on-Year Increase in Gambling Activity, Reaching £1.3 Billion

According to the latest data published by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), the gambling industry in Great Britain experienced a 5% year-on-year increase in gross gambling yield (GGY) from January to March, reaching a total of £1.3 billion ($1.39 billion).

The report, based on data provided by operators covering approximately 80% of the online gambling market, suggests that the rise was driven by real event betting, particularly during the Cheltenham Festival, as well as an increase in online slot activity.

Online slot GGY rose to £551.7 million ($594.05 million), surpassing the previously reported figures of £540.16 million ($581.6 million). The total number of spins also saw a 9% increase during the quarter, reaching a new peak of 19.5 billion. Additionally, the average monthly active accounts rose by 15% to 3.9 million, with a peak of 4.23 million in March. Despite the increase in active accounts, the number of spins per session decreased by 7% compared to the previous quarters.

During the three-month period, the total number of sessions reached 137.86 million, up from 117.38 million in 2022. The average session length slightly decreased to 17 minutes, and sessions lasting over one hour increased by 10.45% to 8.79 million, accounting for 6.4% of all sessions.

In other gaming segments, GGY for casino games dropped by 3.49% to £153.11 million ($164.8 million), while poker GGY decreased by 7.17% year-over-year to £17.97 million ($19.3 million). However, machine GGY increased by 5% to £292 million ($314.4 million), with the average spend per session slightly rising to £12.26 ($13.20), and the average number of spins per machine session reaching 131.

The total number of customer interactions during the quarter decreased by 12% to 2.9 million compared to the same period in the previous year, with the majority of interactions remaining automated. However, the number of direct interactions conducted by operators increased by 31% year-on-year.

Overall, the data suggests that despite the economic situation in the UK, consumers' desire to gamble remains strong, driven by real event betting and online slot activity.

By fLEXI tEAM