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In the three months leading up to September 30, Great Britain reported a gross gambling yield (GGY) of £1.42 billion ($1.86 billion) across all online sectors. This figure represents an 8% increase from £1.32 billion in the same quarter of 2024, yet it falls 5% short of the £1.49 billion recorded in the previous quarter.
While total bets and spins for the period rose by 3% year-on-year to reach 26.1 billion, the Gambling Commission highlighted a concerning trend: the average number of monthly active accounts saw a decline of 7% during this three-month timeframe.
Online slots continue to dominate despite dropping monthly active numbers
During the third quarter, online slots firmly maintained their position as the leading source of GGY, generating £747 million, slightly surpassing the previous record of £745 million set in the second quarter and reflecting a 9% increase from the previous year.
Total spins in this segment rose by 4% year-on-year, matching the record of 24.4 billion spins seen in the second quarter.
Despite this growth, the average monthly active accounts for online slots experienced a slight dip, falling by 0.4% from the prior year to 4.4 million. Additionally, average session times decreased to 16 minutes, and the number of slot sessions exceeding one hour decreased by 15%, totaling 8.6 million. In contrast, overall sessions increased by 13% reaching 188.8 million in the second quarter.
This growth in the online slots market occurred even with the implementation of new regulations, which set stricter stake limits. As of the start of the second quarter, players aged 25 and over are allowed to wager a maximum of £5 per spin, while those under 25 face an even lower cap of £2 per spin.
Table games, poker, and virtual betting all suffer decline
In the online gambling market, table games dropped by 4% from Q2 of 2024, totaling £141 million. Similarly, internet poker revenue fell sharply, decreasing 15% to just £11 million. Virtual betting also faced challenges, with GGY declining by 17% to £8 million.
On a more positive note, the real even betting segment rebounded from a previous decline, posting a 12% increase in GGY to £508 million. However, this still represented an 11% drop compared to Q2.
Despite the growth in that sector, the total number of real event bets decreased by 3% year-on-year, and the average monthly active accounts fell by 14%. Also, esports betting contributed £4 million to the GGY, experiencing a 5% decline, while GGY from other activities increased by 35% reaching £2 million.
Another drop for betting shops GGY
In the land-based betting sector, GGY declined by 5% for the quarter, totaling £508 million. Bets and spins in this segment similarly fell by 2% year-on-year, with total transactions reaching 3.1 billion.
Machines remained the primary source of GGY, generating £272 million, although this marked a 3% decrease compared to the previous year.
Over-the-counter GGY also saw a decline of 10%, dropping to £137 million. On a more positive note, self-service betting terminals experienced a boost, with GGY increasing by 14% to reach £115 million.
When examining machine play specifically, overall sessions dipped by 1% to 22 million, but there was an increase in longer sessions, with those lasting over an hour rising by 4% to 575,063.
Source: iGaming Business
