Online Growth Pushes UK Gambling Market To £4.3bn In Q2 Of 2025
The UK Gambling Commission has published its quarterly report outlining Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) for the entire gambling market for the quarter between July and September 2025.
The headline figure shows a 6.6% increase compared to the year before, resulting in a total GGY of £4.3bn across all metrics, with online, and especially online casinos, facilitating the majority of the increase.
Strong Market Performance
Between July 1 and September 30, 2025, UK gambling industry operators, including many of the biggest gambling websites in the UK, posted a GGY of £4.3bn.
The figure was down from the previous quarter’s £4.4bn.
But, excluding lotteries - which were not included in the equivalent 2024 report - 2025’s £3.2bn was up markedly from 2024’s £3bn.
While the figure doesn’t include lotteries, it does include online and offline gambling, sports betting, casinos, bingo and gaming machines, so it gives an overall view of the full market.
"From 22 July 2025, updated regulations enabled casinos to increase the number of machines in their venues. In most cases, this allowed venues to add 60 machines."
Online Drives Growth As Player Spending Rises
Online, which includes remote casinos, sports betting, and bingo, generated GGY of £2bn, up from £1.8bn in 2024 – an 11% year-on-year increase.
Tax increases announced as part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' November budget could, according to groups like the Betting and Gaming Council, cause the figure to drop as punters are pushed towards unregulated sites.
But the figure could benefit from further growth in the coming years, as the UKGC recently announced it was tentatively investigating the regulation of crypto casino payments, giving access to a slice of the global £50bn market.
The total number of active online accounts at regulated sites actually declined from 23.4m in 2024 to 22.52m in 2025, so fewer players are spending more per account.
Sports betting has remained roughly consistent, generating GGY of £591m in 2025, compared to £590m the year before. There were approximately 100 fewer premises in 2025; however, this could also tumble as new tax rates hit operators.
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William Hill owner, Evoke, said earlier this year it would be forced to close at least some of its high-street betting shops.
Retail casinos saw a slight decrease compared to 2024. In 2025, operators reported GGY of £246m, representing a 3.1% decrease from £254m reported in 2024.
This partially came from a decline in casino numbers. In 2024, there were 142 premises; in 2025, just 135.
The number of gaming machines did see a sharp increase, however, from 3,149 to 3,622. From 22 July 2025, updated regulations enabled casinos to increase the number of machines in their venues.
In most cases, this allowed venues to add 60 machines, with operators also looking to attract new customers through offers for new players both in venues and online.
Adult gaming centres generated £193m in revenue, up from £173m in 2024. The number of premises, described as a blight by some local councils, was actually roughly similar, with 1,454 venues in 2025.
Bingo GGY was £180m, from 719 premises in 2025. This was up from £166m GGY in 2024 from 689 premises.
Traditional bingo halls did receive a boost in last November’s budget as Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the scrapping of the 10% duty placed on land-based bingo.
