Online total gross gambling yield (GGY) in Great Britain reached £1.30 billion (€1.51 billion/$1.62 billion) in the last quarter of the financial year (Q4), climbing five percent from the same period the year prior, while improvement was also seen in GGY for the brick-and-mortar sector, according to a recent gambling behavior report published by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC)

The reporting period covered activity for the months of January, February, and March of 2023, a period that included the popular horse racing event, the Cheltenham Festival.

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Commission data showed an increase of 5 percent in online total GGY in Q4 over the same period the year prior. The government agency attributed the swell in online GGY, for the most part, to growth in real-world event betting and slots. Increases in the total number of bets and spins along with a rise in average monthly active accounts, were also noted.

Meanwhile, online real event betting increased 13 percent year-over-year to £555 million, with the number of total bets 19 percent higher while activities in the sector rose 9 percent year over year. The uptick, according to the commission, could likely be attributed to the Cheltenham Festival, as UK betting shop activity sees heightened activity during the annual four-day horse racing event, which takes place during the quarter. Also likely to have been a factor, the return of domestic league football after the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which took place in Qatar from 20 November 20 to December 18.

Rise in Online Slots & Other Gaming Verticals

Online slots games, likely seen at some of these UK online casino websites, were also on the rise over the past year, with GGY growing 2 percent to £525 million for the segment, aided by an increase of 9 percent in the number of spins to 19.5 billion. Average monthly accounts, meanwhile, were up 15 percent to 3.9 million.

Moreover, the number of slot sessions lasting over an hour rose 10 percent year-on-year to 8.8 million. However, for the fourth consecutive quarter, the average session length has been static at 17 minutes, with a minimal 6.4 percent of all sessions eclipsing one hour.

Interestingly, online casino GGY fell 4 percent to £153 million while online poker declined 7 percent to £18 million, and virtual betting experienced a 3 percent dip to £12 million. Esports betting, however, was level at £2m.

Taking a look at other gaming verticals, the Gambling Commission reports that land-based activity and total GGY for this area improved 6 percent to nearly £585 million in Q4 2022 to 2023, when compared to the same period last year, while total bets and spins numbers rose 2 percent to 3.3 billion.

Also growing in popularity, self-service betting terminals GGY improved 28 percent to £125 million while the number of bets placed on terminals increased 28 percent to 37 million. On the other hand, over-the-counter saw a 5 percent dip to £167m, with the number of bets declining 4 percent to 138 million.