UK Gambling Market Sees Online Growth Amidst Decline in High Street Betting

The UK Gambling Commission has released its latest market impact data, covering the period up to March 2025. The report highlights a significant shift in gambling behaviors, with online platforms experiencing growth while traditional high street betting shops face a downturn.

Key Findings:

•Online Gambling Surge: Online Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) reached £1.45 billion in Q4 (January to March 2025), marking a 7% increase compared to the same quarter the previous year. The total number of bets and spins rose by 5% year-on-year, totaling 25.2 billion, while average monthly active accounts grew by 2% to 13.5 million.

•Slots Performance: Online slots GGY increased by 11% to £689 million. The number of spins climbed by 6% to 23.4 billion, and average monthly active accounts for slots rose by 6% to 4.5 million, setting a new peak for this dataset. Notably, the number of online slots sessions lasting longer than an hour increased by 5% to 10.1 million, with the average session length remaining steady at 17 minutes.

•Real Event Betting: GGY for real event betting grew by 5% year-on-year to £596 million. However, the number of bets placed decreased by 1%, and average monthly active accounts saw a 2% decline.

•Decline in High Street Betting: Licensed Betting Operators (LBOs) reported a 3% decrease in GGY, totaling £554 million in Q4 2024–2025 compared to the same quarter the previous year. The number of total bets and spins in LBOs also fell by 5% to 3.1 billion.

These trends underscore the ongoing shift towards online gambling platforms, highlighting the need for traditional betting shops to adapt to changing consumer preferences. The full report and detailed data can be accessed on the Gambling Commission’s website.

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8 May 2025

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