Online GGY Up 2%, Slots Hit Record Highs

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has released its latest dataset covering operator activity between March 2020 and June 2025, with a particular focus on the first quarter of the 2025–26 financial year. The figures reveal contrasting trends across gambling verticals, with strong gains in online slots offsetting declines in sports betting and poker.

Online Sector Sees Mixed Results

From April to June 2025, online gross gambling yield (GGY) rose 2% year-on-year to £1.49 billion. This growth came alongside a 6% rise in total bets and spins, which reached a record 26.1 billion. However, the average number of monthly active accounts dropped by 10% compared to the same quarter last year, down to 12.7 million.

Online slots were the standout performer, achieving a 14% year-on-year GGY increase to £745 million and hitting a new peak of 24.4 billion spins during the quarter. Monthly active accounts in this vertical held steady at 4.4 million. Average spins per session fell from 139 to 129, while GGY per session edged down from £4.01 to £3.95. The number of sessions lasting over an hour declined 9% to 8.8 million, with only 5% of all sessions exceeding the one-hour mark compared to 6% in the previous year. Average session length shortened by one minute to 16 minutes.

Real event betting did not follow the same trajectory. GGY for this category fell 9% to £570 million, with total bets down 7% and active monthly accounts dropping 16%. The absence of a major international football event—such as Euro 2024, which took place in the same period last year—likely contributed to this decline.

Poker also experienced a downturn, with GGY falling 19.9% to £11.3 million and total bets slipping from 170.9 million to 143.9 million.

Impact of New Stake Limits

The quarter was notable for the introduction of new stake limits for online slots, a move aimed at strengthening player protection measures. From 9 April 2025, the maximum stake was capped at £5 for all adults, followed by a lower £2 limit for players aged 18 to 24 introduced on 21 May 2025. Despite these restrictions, slots performance improved, suggesting players may have compensated by increasing the number of spins placed.

Land-Based Betting Performance

Retail betting premises generated £552 million in GGY for the quarter, a 5% decrease compared to Q1 last year. The total number of bets and spins fell 3% to 3.2 billion.

Over-the-counter bets grew by 1% to 145 million, though the associated GGY dropped 12% to £148 million. Self-service betting terminals (SSBTs) recorded a 9% decrease in bets to 33.4 million, while GGY slipped 1% to £122 million.

Gaming machines in betting shops brought in £281 million in GGY, a 3% decline from the previous year. The average spend per session fell slightly to £12.19, with spins per session decreasing by one to 129. Sessions lasting over an hour accounted for 2.6% of the total, up slightly from 2.4% in the same period last year.

Changes in Data Collection and Survey Insights

The Gambling Commission noted that some operators updated their methods for calculating session length during the quarter, which influenced the reported number of sessions and their durations.

Alongside the financial data, the UKGC also addressed recent analysis of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB). Research led by Professor Patrick Sturgis of the London School of Economics suggested that changes in methodology—from telephone interviews to online self-reporting—may have influenced the recorded rate of problem gambling. The Commission confirmed it will review its guidance to reflect these methodological differences.

Source:

Market impact data on gambling behaviour – operator data to June 2025, Gambling Commission, gamblingcommission.gov.uk, August 14, 2025.