UK Gaming and Betting Volume Steadily Recovering from the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic

By John Isaac,
Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac is an editor with many years of experience in the gambling industry. He writes expert articles on card games like blackjack and poker. In addition, he is also well aware of the US gambling laws and the Indian and Dutch gambling markets. You can rely on verified information and insightful details.

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Last updated: November 30, 2022

According to the most recent UKGC (UK Gambling Commission) data, UK betting and gaming volume is steadily recovering from the turbulence of 2020-21. The regulator mentioned that the total gross gambling yield (GGY) for the entire British gambling sector, with the inclusion of lottery, stood at ￡14.1 billion between April 2021 and March 2022.

This figure represents a 10.9% rise from April 2020 to March 2021 (￡12.5 billion) but a 0.8% decrease from pre-pandemic levels of ￡14.2 billion. These figures reveal that although engagement is up, it’s still lower than the levels experienced prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The UKGC explained that since COVID-19 restrictions were removed in 2021, making opportunities and products to gamble available to customers once again, the overall percentage of the aged population who gamble is still less than it was before COVID-19. But the Commission added that there are indications of a return to gambling among younger age groups ranging from 16 to 24, as well as among males gambling in retail.

Total brick-and-mortor GGY for casinos, betting shops, bingo halls, and arcades increased by 110.5% from 2020-21 to ￡3.5 billion in 2021-22. However, this was primarily because the venues were shut down during the pandemic lockdowns. It still even represented a decrease of 21.5% from the 2019-20 GGY of ￡2.7 billion.

Retail Continues to Contribute Significantly to the Level of Gambling Activity

Despite this, the UKGC maintains that retail continues to be a notable contributor to the level of gambling activity. It accounts for 20% of cross-industry yield in the most recent fiscal year. The active plans of some firms to expand demonstrate the belief many still have in the sector. BoyleSports is one of such firm.

The UKGC also added that while the industry was concerned that the pandemic would significantly impact the retail landscape negatively, in-person gambling participation has increased in September 2022 in comparison to September 2021, especially among males and younger adults up to the age of 24. According to the regulator, brick-and-mortar is resilient, but the switch to online appears to be an unstoppable trend following the pandemic’s blow.

Slots Prove to Be the Key Revenue Driver

The contribution of online gambling is far more than that of retail, with 61% for the 2021-22 year, without including National Lottery sales. However, the UKGC also noted a long-term steady rise in online participation for the lottery. The total GGY bingo, remote betting, and casino sector were ￡6.4 billion. This marked a 6.2% decrease in 2020-2021 figures but an increase of 12.4% in 2019-20, indicating a notable slowdown over the previous year and a rebound from pre-COVID levels.

On a product basis, slots have proven to be the key driver of revenue for the online gaming industry in the UK, generating ￡3 billion in 2021. According to the UKGC, the most significant change in the gambling industry is a move toward online play which in some countries has already become a common practice.