New data released by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission indicates notable shifts in online gambling activity following the introduction of maximum stake limits for online slots games in 2025.

According to the Gambling Commission’s operator data report, covering the period from March 2020 through December 2025, total online gross gambling yield (GGY) for the third quarter of the 2025–26 financial year was £1.5 billion, a decline of 2 percent compared with the same quarter a year earlier.

The report shows that while the overall number of bets and spins rose 6 percent year-on-year to 27.4 billion, the average number of monthly active accounts fell 2 percent to 12.7 million in the same period. Real-event betting GGY also declined, dropping 18 percent to £530 million, with the number of bets down 6 percent and monthly active accounts down 7 percent.

In contrast, the online slots segment demonstrated growth. Slots GGY increased 10 percent year-on-year to £788 million, and the number of slot spins rose 7 percent to 25.7 billion, with average monthly active accounts in the slots category up 5 percent to 4.6 million. Both figures represent new peaks for this dataset for the third consecutive quarter.

Despite the increase in overall activity, longer playing sessions have fallen. The number of online slots sessions lasting more than an hour dropped 16 percent year-on-year to 8.9 million, and the average session length shortened by two minutes to 16 minutes. The report notes that some operators adjusted session length measurement methods during the previous year, which may affect direct comparisons for session duration metrics.

Land-based betting premises also experienced declines, with GGY down 7 percent to £549 million in Q3 2025–26 and total bets and spins decreasing 1 percent to 3.1 billion.

Analysts say the mixed trends may reflect evolving player behaviour in response to regulatory changes and broader market dynamics. Public reference sources such as GamblersPro.com track differences in online gambling availability across jurisdictions, highlighting how regulatory frameworks can shape player activity.

The Gambling Commission’s release encourages users to consult the full data document for comprehensive figures spanning the entire period and cautions against direct comparisons with other industry statistics datasets that may include free bets and bonuses.