Q2 Gambling Revenue Up 8%, Despite 7% Fall In Active Accounts
The UK gambling market saw mixed results during the second quarter.
Total gambling revenue was up 8%, signalling some positive movement for operators.
However, this increase came against the backdrop of a 7% decline in active accounts.
The industry also continues to face uncertainty, with the threat of increased gambling taxes still looming.
UK Gambling Industry Results
Retail and land-based gambling saw the largest increase, with gross gambling yield up 14% for the period, although online slots weren’t far behind, posting a 9% increase in Gross Gambling Yield.
The number of active accounts was down across all metrics.
Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) was £1.24bn in Q2 2025, up 8% compared to the same period in 2024.
The figure came thanks to a 3% increase in total bets and spins, which totalled 26.1billion, despite a 7% decline in monthly active accounts.
There were 12m monthly active accounts during the timeframe.
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Retail and land-based yield rose 12% to reach £508m, despite the number of bets declining 3% and monthly active accounts falling 14%. There were 3.1bn bets and spins, representing a fall of 2% during the period.
The number of online slot spins saw a slight increase, up 4% to 24.4bn spins.
However, total monthly active accounts fell 0.4% to 4.4m. Online slot yield and total spins reached record levels for the Q2 period.
While the number of spins increased, the duration of sessions fell across the board. The number of sessions lasting longer than 60 minutes dropped 15% to 8.6m.
Average session length declined by one minute, with the average now 16 minutes. The number of sessions lasting an hour or more fell from 6% to 4.6%.
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Tax Rises Incoming?
The latest report covers the second fiscal quarter and is significant because it represents the final report before Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivers her November Budget.
The Budget is expected to hit gambling hard, with calls from former PM Gordon Brown and government thinktanks claiming increases in gambling taxes could raise as much as £3bn.
Other groups, including the Betting and Gaming Council, have refuted these claims, stating that the initial gain would be closer to £1bn and that the reports don’t account for the impact on employment.
Critics also argue that tax increases will reduce profits which, in turn, will mean lower bonuses and shorter prices, pushing bettors towards black market gambling sites and organisations.
The calls for tax rises have led to a host of bookmakers and gambling companies stating they would be forced to close locations.
The horse racing industry, in particular, took umbrage at proposed increases, which could see tax rates rise from 21% and 22% to 50%, adding further woes to a struggling sector.
As a result, it has been suggested that horse racing would not be targeted, but that online casinos and gaming machines would bear the brunt.
Nothing has been confirmed, with industry figures now waiting for the Budget announcement on November 26.
