UK Sees Record GGY in Online Gambling: Q4 2024 Highlights

The closing months of 2024 marked a significant period for the online gambling industry in Great Britain, achieving a record Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) of £1.54 billion. This represented a substantial 21% rise compared to the same timeframe in 2023 and a 16.7% increase from the third quarter of 2024. The Great Britain Gambling Commission publicized these figures on February 6, 2025, unveiling that online bets and spins reached a peak of 25.9 billion, escalating by 8% year-on-year. Despite this boost in gambling activity, the average monthly active player accounts witnessed a 3% downturn over the quarter.

The surge highlighted shifts in player engagement and spending habits, indicating evolving preferences within the UK gambling scene.

Online Slots and Real Event Betting Drive Revenue

Leading the revenue charge were online slots, accruing £709 million in GGY, reflecting a 15% uptick from the previous year. Additional data show that slot spins surged by 9% to reach 23.9 billion, with monthly active accounts rising by 10%. These numbers set new milestones for both GGY from slots and the volume of spins. However, it is essential to note the Gambling Commission's observation that one operator relocated certain products to the slots category, influencing comparisons between years.

The average duration for a slot session marginally increased, reaching around 18 minutes, while sessions exceeding an hour dropped from 7% in the final quarter of 2023 to 6% in 2024.

Meanwhile, real event betting emerged strikingly, with GGY growing 38% to £647 million compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, marking the highest quarterly figure since the second quarter of 2021. Despite this rise, the number of bets in this category decreased by 7%, alongside a 3% decrease in the average monthly active accounts.

Diverse Trends in Other Gambling Activities

Other gaming segments presented a mixed picture in their fourth-quarter results. Online casino games, excluding slots, encountered modest growth, recording a 2% increase with a GGY of £151.9 million. In contrast, online poker suffered a substantial 19% decrease in revenue, falling to £12.7 million. Virtual betting also saw a drop, declining by 14% to £9.5 million, with esports betting decreasing by 12% to £3.7 million. Interestingly, other unspecified online gambling activities posted an exceptional 58% increase, generating £1.9 million.

In the land-based sector, the Gambling Commission reported a 5% rise in retail betting GGY, tallying £592 million, although the overall count of bets and spins decreased by 4%, closing at 3.1 billion. Within this category, gaming machines brought in £279.7 million, over-the-counter betting netted £159.8 million, and self-service betting terminals accounted for £152.6 million. While the number of machine sessions dropped by 4%, those lasting over an hour increased by 6%.

Source: UK Online Gambling Market Reaches Record GGY in Q4 2024, lcb.org, February 10, 2025.