Great Britain’s gambling industry has reached a significant milestone, with total GGY hitting £15.6 billion for the period from April 2023 to March 2024.
This represents a 3.5% increase over the previous year, and a 10.2% rise compared to the last pre-pandemic period, demonstrating the sector’s resilience and growth in the aftermath of Covid-19.
According to the UK Gambling Commission’s latest report, operators licensed in Great Britain have contributed to a robust recovery, with the remote casino, betting and bingo (RCBB) sector being a primary catalyst.
This sector alone generated £6.9bn in GGY, marking a 6.9% increase over the previous year and a substantial 20.3% jump from pre-lockdown figures. Online casino gaming dominated this space, pulling in £4.4bn, with slots accounting for £3.6bn of this total.
The report also highlights that sports remote betting remains a popular choice among consumers, contributing £2.4bn to the GGY. Football and horse racing are the leading categories, generating £1.1bn and £771.1m respectively, with remote bingo adding £167.1m to the overall tally.
Customer engagement metrics reveal a dynamic sector, despite a 3% decline in new account registrations, which stood at 37.3m. Active accounts increased by 2.6% to 37.4m, a significant 24.1% rise from pre-pandemic levels. Furthermore, customer account holdings totalled £896.3m, reflecting a 2.1% increase year-on-year and a notable 29.4% surge from pre-lockdown periods.
The land-based sector experienced more modest growth, generating £4.6bn in GGY, a 3.8% increase from the previous year and 4.7% above pre-pandemic figures. However, the number of gambling premises continued to decline, down to 8,329, representing a 0.8% decrease from the previous year and a 17.8% drop compared to pre-Covid numbers.
Betting shops, though still the most numerous, saw a 1.4% decline year-over-year, totalling 5,931 as of March 2024. This marks a 22.8% decrease from 2019/20. The non-remote betting sector brought in £4.6bn, with betting machines alone contributing £1.2bn, showing a 0.7% annual increase and a 14.6% rise since pre-lockdown.
Casinos have shown nuanced recovery, with GGY increasing 17.2% year-on-year to £865.8m, although this figure is still 14.9% below pre-pandemic levels. Traditional casino games generated £645.4m and casino machines added £220.3m. Bingo venues earned £628.1m, a 5.6% annual rise and a 9% increase from the pre-pandemic total.
The arcade sector also saw growth, with GGY reaching £663.9m, a 10.2% increase from the previous year and a 54.1% surge from the pre-lockdown era. Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs) were the main contributors, accounting for £623.4m, while Family Entertainment Centres (FECs) saw a slight decline to £40.5m.
Gaming machines across all sectors generated £2.5bn in GGY for the 2023/24 period, marking a 4.5% increase from the previous year and a 24.5% rise from pre-pandemic levels. This highlights the ongoing preference for machine-based gaming options.
The National Lottery saw a dip in contributions to good causes, down to £1.6bn, an 8% year-on-year decline and a 5.3% decrease from pre-pandemic levels. Total ticket sales also dropped to £7.8bn, a 4.6% decrease from the previous year. In contrast, large society lotteries performed strongly, with ticket sales rising to £1.1bn, up 11.9% annually, and contributions to good causes increasing to £461.5m.
The structural landscape of the industry is also evolving. As of March 31st, 2024, there were 2,262 licensed gambling operators in Great Britain, a 3.6% decrease from the previous year and a 12.3% drop from pre-lockdown numbers. The number of licensed gambling activities fell to 3,159, down 2.3% year-on-year and 10.5% compared to the pre-pandemic period.
This shift reflects a broader trend towards industry consolidation, as operators optimize cost structures and shift focus towards the growing digital sector.
The combination of increasing GGY and a declining number of operators and premises suggests a transformation within the industry. The rise of remote gambling, coupled with growing engagement metrics and increased machine-based revenues, points to a new era of gambling consumption in the UK.
As traditional betting shops and brick-and-mortar casinos diminish in presence, stakeholders must innovate and adapt to changing consumer behaviours. With the next report expected in November 2025, both industry analysts and regulators will be closely monitoring these developments to ensure policies and licensing frameworks are aligned with the evolving landscape.
