Report Highlight:
- 43% of individuals in the UK, equivalent to around £29 million people, engage in gambling on a monthly basis.
- An estimated 300,000 individuals in the UK are considered problem gamblers.
- In 2022, the gross gambling yield (GGY) for online gaming in the UK reached £6.4 billion.
- The GGY for land-based gambling in the UK amounted to £3.5 billion in 2022.
- Gaming machines in the UK generated a GGY of £1.8 billion in 2022.
- In the online gaming sector in the UK, the GGY for casino games reached £3.9 billion in 2022.
- Remote sportsbooks in the UK generated a GGY of £2.4 billion in 2022.
- New account registrations for online gambling in the UK have experienced a 9.1% increase compared to pre-pandemic levels.
- By the end of 2022, there were 2,419 licensed operators in the UK, a decrease from 2,819 in 2018.
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UK Online Gambling Trends
- Approximately 43% of individuals in the UK, equivalent to around £29 million people, engage in gambling on a monthly basis.
- An estimated 300,000 individuals in the UK are considered problem gamblers.
- In 2022, the gross gambling yield (GGY) for online gaming in the UK reached £6.4 billion.
- In 2021, the GGY for online gaming in the UK was £6.9 billion.
- The GGY for land-based gambling in the UK amounted to £3.5 billion in 2022.
- Gaming machines in the UK generated a GGY of £1.8 billion in 2022.
- In the online gaming sector in the UK, the GGY for casino games reached £3.9 billion in 2022.
- Slot games accounted for £3 billion of the GGY for casino games in the UK in 2022.
- Remote sportsbooks in the UK generated a GGY of £2.4 billion in 2022.
- New account registrations for online gambling in the UK have experienced a 9.1% increase compared to pre-pandemic levels.
- By the end of 2022, there were 2,419 licensed operators in the UK, a decrease from 2,819 in 2018.
- In 2021, there was a 22.5% increase in online casino participation.
- In 2021, remote betting saw a 13.5% increase.
- Pre-pandemic, in-person casino GGY was £1.018 billion, during the pandemic it was £0.117 billion, and post-pandemic it amounted to £0.692 billion.
- Pre-pandemic, the GGY for remote casinos was £3.23 billion, during the pandemic it rose to £4.04 billion, and post-pandemic it remained at £3.9 billion.
- Projections indicate that the online gambling industry in the UK will employ 120,000 individuals in 2023, marking an 8% increase from 2022.
- The average salary in the UK’s online gaming industry in 2023 is £57,500.
- Gambling activities are participated in monthly by 43% of the UK population.
- 26% of the UK population engages in online gambling.
- In 2018, online gambling participation stood at 19%.
- The number of online gaming accounts in the UK is currently 32 million.
- The most popular forms of online gaming in the UK are the National Lottery, sports betting, horse races, football pools, bingo, and casino games.
- The average UK online gambler spends £2.60 per week or £135.20 annually.
- The primary reasons why young people gamble are for enjoyment, the perceived likelihood of winning, having an activity to engage in, the simplicity of the games, and the desire to win money.
- Debit cards or eWallets are used by 66% of individuals in the UK for gambling.
Gambling Industry Statistics 2024
- The UK gambling market is estimated to be worth more than £14.3 billion in 2023.
- Online gambling makes up over 38.2% of the total market, with revenues of £5.4 billion in 2023.
- Online casinos generated £3.2 billion in revenue, with slots being the most popular game.
- Sports betting accounted for £1.9 billion of online gambling revenue in 2023.
- The number of active online gamblers in the UK reached 24.7 million in 2023, a 6.2% increase from 2022.
- The number of self-excluded gamblers increased by 15% in 2023.
- Penalties issued for non-compliance increased by 20% in 2023.
- Approximately 0.7% of the adult population in the UK were identified as problem gamblers in 2023.
- The number of self-exclusions increased by 25% in 2023.
- Over £10 million was donated by the industry to problem gambling charities in 2023, a 20% increase from 2022.
- The number of individuals seeking help for problem gambling increased by 30% in 2023.
- The UK gambling industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.7% through 2027.
- The online sector is projected to have a market size of over £6 billion by 2024.
- The UK government plans to implement new regulatory changes, including stake limits, affordability checks, and a levy on betting firms, to address problem gambling.
UK Gambler Statistics
- The revenue generated by the UK National Lottery in the decade ending in April 2022 exceeds £74 billion.
- More than a quarter of UK adults played the lottery in the first quarter of 2023.
- 44% of people aged 16 and above in the UK took part in gambling during that time.
- In March 2023 alone, nearly 14 million Brits engaged in some form of online gambling.
- 26% of UK adults occasionally gamble online.
- 35% of 45-54 year-olds in the UK actively gamble online in 2023.
- 31% of 35-44 year-olds in the UK frequently gamble.
- During March 2023, 42% of UK adult women and 45% of UK men gambled.
- UK accounts for 23% of Europe’s total sports betting market.
- Betting on real events like sports is 35% more popular in the UK than playing online slots.
- Gross gambling yield for real event and slots betting exceeds £200 million in the year ending March 2023.
- Largest online gambling operators reported a total gross gambling yield of £4.9 billion during the same period.
- On average, people in the UK spend £70 per person per week on gambling.
- 54% of survey participants gamble every week, while 21% gamble once a fortnight.
- 85% of surveyed gamblers have gambling apps installed on their mobile devices.
- 78% of female gamblers and 61% of male gamblers believe that UK gambling regulations should be stricter.
Gambling Addiction Statistics
- The rate of problem gambling in the UK fell to 0.2% in the year to March 2022.
- Problem gambling rates among women remained at 0.1%.
- The number of problem gamblers decreased from 225,000 to 113,000.
- The use of black market gambling sites in the UK has more than doubled in two years.
- The black market in Norway accounts for over 66% of all money staked, with a problem gambling rate of 1.4%.
- In France, 57% of money staked goes to black market operators, with a problem gambling rate of 1.6%.
- Most problem gamblers are not addicted and require a clinical assessment for gambling addiction.
- The UK’s betting and gaming industry has funded research, education, and treatment for problem gamblers.
- Problem gambling figures should be a warning to ensure future changes are balanced, proportionate, and targeted.
- The regulated industry promotes safer gambling unlike the unsafe online black market.
Key Takeaways
The UK’s gambling industry continues to show significant growth, with an estimated market value of over £14.3 billion in 2023.
The online sector remains a substantial contributor, accounting for over 38.2% of the total market. Notably, the transition to online platforms, bolstered by the pandemic, has witnessed an increase in online gambler participation, from 19% in 2018 to 26% in 2023.
Alongside the growth, the industry faces challenges related to problem gambling, evidenced by the rise in self-exclusions and individuals seeking help.
The proposed regulatory changes by the UK government, including stake limits and affordability checks, aim to address these issues, ensuring a safer gambling environment.
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