Industry Statistics - May 2021
The latest statistics include the period between April September 2020.
Published on
27 May 2021
Summary
Additional data sets in this series
Gambling Industry Statistics are published twice a year (in May and November) and provide the latest information on each sector regulated by the Gambling Commission.
Industry Statistics report on the size and shape of the gambling industry in Great Britain.
This Publication provides an overview of Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) by sector, along with the numbers of licensed operators and premises. It is based on data reported to us by the operators we licence and regulate.
With the arrival of COVID-19, the various lockdown rules and restrictions throughout 2020 have brought about significant changes that have impacted on the availability of product and sales channels for the gambling industry. This mainly involved land-based sectors of the industry, but the restrictions also affected live sporting events which would have potential to impact on remote operators. A consequence of this is we have not included estimates where returns have either been late or not yet due as we would not have confidence in their accuracy. We accept that the impact of this may be some figures which understate actual totals. Our methodology page explains estimations further.
The collection of data during this Covid affected period has also impacted on the completeness of the figures with several operator's overdue with submitting their returns or have submitted data which is still in question.
The figures published reflect the uniqueness of this latest reporting period.
The data file includes historical data back to 2009.
Key facts
?5.9bn Total gross gambling yield (GGY) of the gambling industry in Great Britain
(April to September 2020)
?4.0bn Total gross gambling yield (GGY) of the gambling industry in Great Britain (excluding lotteries)
(April to September 2020)
9,036 Total number of premises in Great Britain (Sep 2020)
(10.8% decrease from March 2020)
6,735 Total number of betting shops in Great Britain (Sep 2020)
(12.3% decrease from March 2020)
?470.0m Total GGY for gaming machines in Great Britain
(April to September 2020) (excludes those requiring only a local authority permit)
?396.8m Total GGY for category B3 machines in Great Britain
(April to September 2020)
?3.1bn Total GGY for Remote Betting, Bingo Casino Sector
(April to September 2020)
?629.3m Total GGY for non-remote betting (including machines)
(April to September 2020)
?92.0m Total GGY for non-remote bingo (including machines)
(April to September 2020)
?67.0m Total GGY for Non-remote Casino (including machines)
(April to September 2020)
?196.8m Contributions to good causes from large society lotteries
(April to September 2020)
?775.1m Contributions to good causes from The National Lottery
(April to September 2020)
Details
Total GGY for the industry was ?5.9bn in the half year reporting period April 2020 - September 2020. The next full year s data for reporting period April 2020 - March 2021 is due to be published in November 2021.
Remote (or online) gambling is the largest combined sector by GGY. With ?3.1bn GGY, it comprises 52.3% of the overall market in this reporting period. Online casino games dominate the sector, generating ?1.9bn in GGY, mostly from slots games. GGY for remote betting totalled ?1.0bn, led by football and horse betting. GGY for remote bingo totalled ?98.1m.
National Lottery ticket sales totalled ?3.9bn. This supported a GGY equivalent of ?1.6bn, making the National Lottery the second largest sector by GGY. Over the same period, the primary contribution to good causes totalled ?775.1m.
Non-remote betting GGY was the third largest sector by GGY with ?629.3m. Within off-course betting data, machines GGY totalled ?304.9m. Machines represented 48.5% of total betting GGY. Total numbers of betting premises have continued to decline for the seventh consecutive reporting period to 6,735 (-12.3%).
Lotteries (excluding the National Lottery and small society lotteries), saw a GGY equivalent of ?310.5m, with balance to good causes at ?196.8m.
In the arcades sector, adult gaming centres totalled ?97.0m in GGY and licensed family entertainment totalled ?7.7m. Note that this data does not include family entertainment centres which operate using a permit from a local authority.
Non-remote bingo GGY totalled ?92.0m, Machines represented 46.2% of the total bingo GGY.
The non-remote casino sector totalled ?67.0m in GGY. Machines represented 27.7% of the total casino GGY
Machines GGY across all sectors totalled ?470.6m. B3 with ?396.8m is now the highest machine category for GGY.
The number of licensed activities has decreased to 3,468 (-1.7%). These licences are held by 2,522 operators (-2.1%).
The overall number of licensed gambling premises in Great Britain has fallen by 1,092 to 9,036 (-10.8%). The majority of these were betting premises which declined by 948 (-12.3%)
Notes
This publication is primarily for anyone who has an involvement or interest in the gambling industry including government, licensed operators, trade bodies, international regulators, journalists, academic researchers, financial institutions, statisticians, consumers and local authorities.
Latest Statistics On the UK Gambling Industry
The UK gambling industry is one of the few worldwide that see a continuous year-on-year revenue boost. This should, however, not come as a surprise. With multiple ways to win, as well as different odds and potential winnings, there are virtually limitless opportunities to have fun. Players can bet on a sports game, a horse race, or a game of cards and enjoy the thrill of getting massive potential returns and bragging rights. In recent years, the gambling industry has grown in leaps and bounds in the UK. How much, you ask? Well, in 2018-2019, Great Britain generated a GGY of ?14.26 billion.
When most people think of gambling, the idea of a glamorous land-based casino is what pops into their heads. But believe it or not, brick and mortar casinos aren t the most sought-after form of gambling in the UK.
The real emerging market is the online one, and its offer is always growing. Just look at how many sites are listed on comparison portals such as ukcasino.xyz to understand how much players are increasingly inclined to play via smartphone and tablet. Needless to say, online gambling is on the rise. As you read further into this article, you ll learn why this trend will not be slowing down anytime soon.
Breaking the Numbers Down To the Average Player
The ?14.2 billion GGY is significantly bigger than the GDP of a lot of countries. It is, however, vital to realise that these numbers don t indicate an uncontrollable urge to gamble by the Brits. The average UK online casino player spends an infinitesimal fraction of the gross gambling yield. Be that as it may, the love and excitement that goes into every bet is reflected in the massive figures. Not only are the searches
The UK gambling industry is fuelled by approximately 24 million adult gamblers. Of all these bettors, 10.5 million, which is close to half, bet online. Recent statistics indicate that just over 45% of UK residents gamble in some way each month.
The average player bets ?2.57 per week or just over ?133 annually. These statistics indicate that for most players, gambling is more of an infrequent pastime than a daily habit. But on which games exactly do players spend their money?
What Are British Players Betting On?
If youre like most people, you like a bit of variety in life. Not everyone likes to eat the same food daily. Similarly, bettors have a wide range of choice on the type of games they can bet on. There are far more ways to bet than on just a sports game or online casino. If youd like to explore your options a bit more, weve laid out several different ways along with the percentage of bets that each one accumulates.
The National Lottery: With 27.6% of the UKs gambling community taking part in the national lottery, this is easily the most wagered-on game.
Scratch Cards: Closely following at 11.2%, scratch cards are the second-most gambled-on game by players whod like to take a quick shot at winning.
Other Lotteries: The national lottery may be the biggest, but it s not the only lottery in town. 10% of UK bettors enjoy putting their stake on other lotteries.
Sports Betting: Whether you enjoy wagering on the next football, tennis, or hockey match, if you enjoy betting on sports, you re part of the 6.6% who do so.
Horse Racing: Since there are a lot of races throughout the year, horse racing is a prime opportunity for betting. 3.8% of gamblers in the UK bet on horse races.
Slot Machines: You would be tempted to think that slot machines attract a lot more gambling traffic, but they follow horse racing closely at 3.7%. The enticing lights and sounds, as well as huge potential wins, make for a fun gambling experience. Online slot machine technology has also advanced a lot over the past few years, producing more immersive and interactive gameplay.
Bingo:
Other Games: The gambling world is filled with virtually endless possibilities. Other games may not be as popular, but they collectively take up 1.6% of the gambling community s attention.
The UK gambling industry is always coming up with new products to add a bit of fun to players lives. Whether you hope to pick a winning horse, win the lottery jackpot, or line up an online slot winning combination, have fun, and most importantly, bet responsibly.
UK Gambling By The Numbers: Industry Revenues and Predictions by Sector - Leanbackplayer.com
LONDON , June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The world of casinos, bingo, and sports betting is alive and well in the UK, but it seems that efforts around the world to shift attitudes in online casino gaming might have reverberating effects in the UK. Just last year in November of 2020, the Gambling Commission published their latest report of industry statistics and inside this report, one can see just where things have been moving. For the most part, gambling across all settings within the UK, from arcades and betting to bingo, casinos, and lotteries has seen a steady increase in GGY (gross gambling yield). However, there was a slight drop-off from April 2019 to March 2020 and that is to be expected with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this short report, we are going to take a detailed look at what's new in the world of UK betting. Remember, the UK does not exist in a vacuum, and the gambling shifts taking place in the US certainly have an e ffect of what is going on in the UK. So, with that in mind, let's take a closer look at the numbers.
An ?84.1m Decrease In Overall Gambling, But An Increase In Online Casino Gaming
Overall, the GGY of the gambling industry in the UK decreased by about ?84.1m from April 2018 to March 2020 . By sector, these declines were seen in non-remote betting by ?859.5m, non-remote casino gaming by about ?42.8m, and non-remote bingo by about ?38.4m. However, during the very same periods, it looks like remote casino gaming increased by nearly 4%,m remote and non-remote National Lottery increased by about 10.4%, and remote betting increased by as much as 15.5%.
What Are People Actually Betting On?
If you actually break down the data and take a look at what people in the UK are actually betting on, things get quite interesting. For instance, let's take the sector with the largest increase throughout that two year period.
Sports Betting In The UK Is Huge With 48.4% of The Market Dominated By Football
If we take a deeper look at remote betting in the UK, it becomes pretty clear to see just what people in the UK are actually betting on in terms of sports. Football takes up a whopping 48.4% of the pie, with horses making up about 28% of it. From there, you've got tennis betting taking up 5% of the GGY, dogs taking up 3.1% of the GGY, gold taking up about 0.7% of the GGY, virtuals taking 3.2% of it, and about 9.7% of random sports that aren't clearly or distinctly accounted for.
If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it's that sports around the world can still be played at near full-scale, albeit without the fanfare. In the US, every major sports league found a way to return to their respective playing field and courts during the pandemic. In the UK, football continued to reign supreme as the most watched sport during the pandemic, with horse racing not too far behind.
And for betters and gamblers alike, making a remote bet wasn't exactly a difficult thing to accomplish. In fact, it was easier than going to the pitch to watch the match, or going to the track to view the race. Having the ability to strategically place bets from afar represented a newfound interest in sports betting almost going so far as to claim it as a strategic advantage.
What's Happening In The US?
Across the ocean in the US, things in the betting world seem to be picking up steam. Digital casinos and other remote forms of gambling and sports betting used to be considered taboo by those in the gambling sphere, but now, they're beginning to set the stage for a shift in attitude amongst betters worldwide.
Again, the COVID-19 pandemic likely played a role in this, but one cannot discount the impact that mobile technology has had on the world of sports betting. Because mobile technology offers instant access, instant moves, instant wagers, and so much more, there is an influx of new sports betters to the market who are ready to place wagers down to the player and minute of a game all from the comfort of their own home with their mobile device in hand.
Online Gambling Expected To Grow By More Than $80m By 2024
Currently, the digital casino and gambling markets are projected to grow by more than $80 billion dollars over the next three years this would be a four year period from 2020 to 2024. One of the biggest benefits that online gaming has brought to interested betters worldwide is the new Live Dealer feature. If you're interested in casino gambling, then you know that playing with a Live Dealer in a Las Vegas casino is a one of a kind experience.
For that very reason, online casinos have caught onto this, and they've incorporated this feature into their online casino games. Demand for Live Dealer games and online casinos has never been higher.
In terms of sports betting, DraftKings Inc. has broken out on to the scene as a major sports betting application that users can download on their mobile device, place wagers during games, and take advantage of exciting promotions that double their chances of winning. DraftKings has certainly opened up a doorway for a brand new market of sports betters because of its ease of use and ultimate convenience. Those who have never placed a wager on a game or match before might be more privy to do so now that they can do it from their mobile device while they watch the game at home.
It's an exciting time for the world of gambling and betting, and things around the world are certainly beginning to make waves. It'll be interesting to see if the Live Dealer feature and sports betting giant, DraftKings, make their way over to the UK. Time will tell just how adaptable this new attitude shift will be.
Betting industry in the UK - statistics facts
With the rapid technological development of personal computers and mobile devices in recent times, it is perhaps unsurprising that the online gambling, also known as remote gambling, sector has grown. The GGY of the online betting market in the UK amounted to roughly 204 million British pounds in July 2021. This figure has grown during the pandemic, surpassing the online betting market GGY of around 92 million British pounds in March 2019. Betting on virtual events in particular peaked at the start of the pandemic in April 2020, likely due to the Virtual Grand National and the cancellation of many live sporting events. During a 2020 survey on online gambling participation in the UK, over a quarter of male respondents stated that they had participated in some form of online gambling in the last month, along with a fifth of all women surveyed. The overall number of online bets placed in the UK is dominated by betting on real events, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of bets placed on real events dropped significantly in April 2020 and bets placed on virtual events increased. By July 2021, the number of bets placed on real and virtual events began to stabilize at pre-pandemic levels.
Sports betting participation in the UK
Some of the more common events that are bet on in the United Kingdom (UK) are sporting events, such as horse racing, dog racing, and soccer. Increasingly many sports bets are being made online, in particular through leading UK sportsbook websites such as betfred.com, paddypower.com, and betway.com. That being said, there are still those who bet on-course at events, this being especially common at the races. In between April 2019 and March 2020, the turnover of on-course horse race betting was approximately 185 million British pounds. This figure declined in the later months of 2020 as a result of the pandemic, when safety regulations were put in place that meant sporting events were either canceled or must take place without spectators. The GGY of off-course horse race betting in the UK and the GGY of off-course dog race betting in the UK both also showed significant declines during the health crisis, though these have both been experiencing a general decline for the last decade.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Key figures
The most important key figures provide you with a compact summary of the topic of Betting industry in the UK and take you straight to the corresponding statistics.
Participation
Sports betting participation in Great Britain 2017-2021
Dog race gambling participation in Great Britain 2015-2020
Great Britain: private betting participation from 2015 to 2020
Soccer betting
Off course soccer betting turnover Great Britain 2008-2020
Turnover of soccer pool betting in Great Britain 2008-2020
Gross gambling yield of pool betting on soccer in Great Britain 2008-2020
Interesting statistics
In the following 7 chapters, you will quickly find the 36 most important statistics relating to Betting industry in the UK.
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Betting industry in the UK - statistics facts
The growth of online betting in the UK
With the rapid technological development of personal computers and mobile devices in recent times, it is perhaps unsurprising that the online gambling, also known as remote gambling, sector has grown. The GGY of the online betting market in the UK amounted to roughly 204 million British pounds in July 2021. This figure has grown during the pandemic, surpassing the online betting market GGY of around 92 million British pounds in March 2019. Betting on virtual events in particular peaked at the start of the pandemic in April 2020, likely due to the Virtual Grand National and the cancellation of many live sporting events. During a 2020 survey on online gambling participation in the UK, over a quarter of male respondents stated that they had participated in some form of online gambling in the last month, along with a fifth of all women surveyed. The overall number of online bets placed in the UK is dominated by betting on real events, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of bets placed on real events dropped significantly in April 2020 and bets placed on virtual events increased. By July 2021, the number of bets placed on real and virtual events began to stabilize at pre-pandemic levels.
Sports betting participation in the UK
Some of the more common events that are bet on in the United Kingdom (UK) are sporting events, such as horse racing, dog racing, and soccer. Increasingly many sports bets are being made online, in particular through leading UK sportsbook websites such as betfred.com, paddypower.com, and betway.com. That being said, there are still those who bet on-course at events, this being especially common at the races. In between April 2019 and March 2020, the turnover of on-course horse race betting was approximately 185 million British pounds. This figure declined in the later months of 2020 as a result of the pandemic, when safety regulations were put in place that meant sporting events were either canceled or must take place without spectators. The GGY of off-course horse race betting in the UK and the GGY of off-course dog race betting in the UK both also showed significant declines during the health crisis, though these have both been experiencing a general decline for the last decade.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Interesting statistics
In the following 7 chapters, you will quickly find the 36 most important statistics relating to Betting industry in the UK.
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