The Numbers Behind Online Gambling in the UK

Posted by Harry Kane on Thursday, June 15, 2017

While numbers have emerged that highlight the weakness of the UK economy in comparison with the rest of Europe, there is one national marketplace that continues to thrive.

We are referring, of course, to the gambling industry in the UK, which has enjoyed incremental growth since the the decline of the Great Recession back in 2010.

The numbers from 2017 certainly hint at impressive and robust growth, so here is an insight into the industry as it stood at the end of last year:

1. The Gross Gambling Yield was £13.8 billion in 2016

Incredibly, the gross yield for the sector as a whole was £13.8 billion last year, at least in the period between October 2015 and September 2016.

There were two noticeable aspects of this. Firstly, the gross yield accounted for growth of 2.98% on the previous figures. Secondly, online gaming claimed a significantly larger share of the sector, driving 33% (£4.5 billion) of all money gambled in the UK.

This is a trend that is likely to continue during the months ahead, as online gambling gradually becomes the primary vehicle for players across the UK.

2. Slots Remain the Biggest Driver of Online Casino Market Growth

While online gambling may be renowned as a growth market in the UK, it is fair to say that alternative sectors in the industry are growing at variable rates.

During the last seven years, for example, online table games have seen activity levels increase by 52%. Similarly, card games such as blackjack have enjoyed noticeable but relatively modest growth of 26% during the same period, with some suggesting that this may be down to a lack of iterations available online.

The growth in both of these sectors has been dwarfed by online slot games, however, which has seen an increase in activity levels to the tune of 328% since 2010. It is clear that this has become the main growth engine in the online gambling sector, primarily because they appeal to casual and serious players alike.

3. There Are Over 22 Million Active Online Gambling Accounts in the UK

If you wanted to understand the rising popularity of online gambling within the mainstream market, the number of active gambling accounts represents a good metric.

This figures stood at 18.14 million back in 2014, rising to 21.57 million the year later. This impressive and incremental rate of growth continued at pace in 2016, highlighting the sustained ability of brands to target new players and appeal to a broader social demographic.

While the innovative and generous promotional efforts of online casino brands have been crucial, however, we are also seeing a large number of offline players make the transition to the virtual platform. This explains the growing share of online gambling in the UK marketplace, and over time we should expect even more players to wager exclusively through virtual casinos.

So there you have it; the growth of the online gambling sector in three, simple numbers. There is more to come from this market too, so keep your eyes peeled as the UK continues to revel in a true growth sector!