The online casino industry in Britain has evolved immensely in the last five years, due to a myriad of factors. The increased variety and availability of games online, including innovative online slot games, live dealer games, and bingo, has attracted a bigger number of players to online platforms.
On the other hand, gambling regulations in the UK have become more stringent, leading to tougher fines for operators, and to the strengthening of responsible gambling measures.
An overview of current figures and trends (online gambling)
We did our own research on the UK gambling industry, to find out about the recent trends, statistics and demands. We did so by consulting a variety of sources, among them surveys conducted by the UK Gambling Commission, as well as a wealth of industry news and statistics.
Of particular interest, we have observed that:
- New player bonuses have become more attractive and transparent, with the average deposit bonus being at around £100. Match bonuses are often coupled with a bunch of free spins, and wagering requirements average at around 35 times the bonus and/ or free spins winnings.
- The number of active casino accounts in 2019 amounted to over 32 million (Statista), whereas 47% of Brits gamble on a fairly regular basis (the figure accounts for the percentage of people who gambled within a four-week period). See Gambling Statistics 2020.
- The total GGY made on online casino games alone between April 2020 and March 2021 amounted to £19.1 billion (Industry Statistics – May 2021). Slots are the most popular games, with Play N Go’s Book of Dead and NetEnt’s Starburst being two of the most played games. EGR Global.
- Debit cards and PayPal are the most popular casino payment methods for Brits, and keyword searches indicate that the demand for PayPal casinos is on the increase.
The below infographic portrays the current state of the online casino in terms of GGY, active player accounts and gambling participation, bonuses, and other trends:
State of Online Casino (UK) Infographic
Sources:
Chris Lilly, ‘Gambling Statistics 2020: Learn More about How Brits Gamble’, Finder.UK, https://www.finder.com/uk/gambling-statistics
Gambling Commission, ‘Industry Statistics – May 2021’, https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/statistics-and-research/publication/industry-statistics-may-2021
‘Six biggest online casino jackpots in UK history’, Descrier (October 2020), https://descrier.co.uk/culture/six-biggest-online-casino-jackpots-in-uk-history/
‘UK Casino Statistics for 2021’, DailyHawker UK, https://www.dailyhawker.co.uk/uk-casino-statistics-for-2021/
‘Problem gamblers place up to 90 bets a day and bet in the middle of the night’, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/30/problem-gamblers-spend-more-money-place-more-bets-play-at-night
‘Record £11.6m UK gambling fine meted out to Betway’, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/mar/12/record-116m-uk-gambling-fine-meted-out-to-betway
UK Casino Reviews, Casinohawks.com, https://www.casinohawks.com/reviews