The U.K. gross gambling yield (GGY) declined 2 percent to £1.2 billion in the third quarter of 2022, according to the U.K. Gambling Commission (UKGC.) Using data from the country’s “biggest operators,” the commission concluded that revenues declined by 8 percent for online betting and 3 percent for casino revenue.
Total online GGY was £446 million, while the number of bets increased 21 percent and average monthly accounts increased 20 percent from last year.
At the same time, the number of active players grew 17 percent from 14.5 million last year to 17.3 million, even though virtual sports betting fell 41 percent to 425,708.
The commission said in a statement: “The popularity of the football World Cup is likely to be responsible for the increase in general participation in recreational gambling, though the reduced amount of football betting opportunities, with top European leagues being temporarily suspended, may have resulted in the decreased overall spend in the period.”
The commission also found that the number of customers in the third quarter fell 10 percent, to 2.9 million over last year. The commission added, “We continue to expect vigilance from operators as consumers are impacted in different ways by the current economic environment. Many people will feel vulnerable as they face further uncertainty about their personal or financial circumstances.”
These statistics could prove informative to members of the government who are preparing to release the Gambling Act of 2005 White Paper. The latest of six gambling ministers, DCMS (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) Secretary Lucy Frazer, who was appointed recently to oversee the review and issue the paper.
