Online Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) in Great Britain saw an 8% year-on-year increase in the second quarter, reaching £1.42 billion, according to the latest data released by the Gambling Commission.
This growth occurred despite a decrease in the number of average monthly active accounts, which fell by 7% to 12 million.
The regulator noted that while overall financial yield grew, the total number of bets and spins increased by a modest 3% to 26.1 billion. Conversely, the retail and land-based sector also showed GGY growth in Great Britain, rising 12% to £508 million, although this was accompanied by a 14% drop in average monthly active accounts, illustrating a changing consumer landscape.
Slots GGY was the largest contributor to the online growth, increasing by 9% to £747 million. This figure, along with the total number of spins (24.4 billion), represented new peak levels for the second consecutive quarter.
Despite this surge in slot revenue, the Commission highlighted positive trends in responsible gambling metrics: the number of online slot sessions lasting longer than an hour decreased by 15% to 8.6 million, and the average session length slightly decreased by one minute to 16 minutes.
Furthermore, only 4.6% of all sessions lasted more than one hour, down from 6% in the same quarter the previous year.
This final statistical release precedes the Autumn Budget on November 26, where Chancellor Rachel Reeves is reportedly considering tax increases on the gambling sector. Land-based operators, including Entain (owner of Ladbrokes and Coral), Betfred, and The Rank Group (owner of Grosvenor Casinos), have publicly criticized the prospect of tax hikes.
Two leading think tanks have submitted similar proposals for revenue generation, suggesting the online sector will bear the brunt of any changes.
