Online gambling in the United Kingdom - statistics & facts
The influence of digitalization has been nothing short of revolutionary in the gambling industry. In the United Kingdom, the rise of the internet has enabled long-established and leading gambling brands such as the National Lottery and William Hill to diversify beyond traditional over-the-counter services. Meanwhile, gambling platforms purpose-built for the digital age have taken root in the UK and grown at breakneck speed.
With recent research revealing the prevalence of problem gambling among younger age groups, the UK government in 2024 put in motion a series of reforms that are aimed at protecting consumers from the potentially destructive effects of gambling. Such measures include maximum stake limits on online slot games and a ban on autoplay for all forms of online gambling. After years of unfettered growth, such reforms could profoundly shape the future of the industry.
What are the leading gambling brands in the UK?
One brand that has cashed in on the internet age is the sports betting platform bet365, founded in Stoke-on-Trent at the turn of the millennium. The company has since grown into a global powerhouse valued at nearly three billion U.S. dollars in 2024, which made it the sixth most valuable gambling company worldwide that year. The meteoric rise of bet365 has been reflected by the UK’s online gambling industry as a whole, with the gross gambling yield (GGY) of the online betting, bingo, and casino industry in Great Britain growing by over 50 percent between 2016 and 2023.How many people gamble online in the UK?
In a 2024 survey on gambling habits among the Great British public, it was found that over one-third of Brits had taken part in online gambling in the past four weeks. Meanwhile, the most popular gambling activity was National Lottery draws, with around a quarter of British adults having participated. In another study from the same year, which surveyed bettors in the UK who didn’t solely play the lottery, 47 percent of respondents said they had placed a bet at an online sports bookmaker in the past month.What is the relationship between gambling and sports?
As home to the Premier League, which is the domestic soccer league with the highest revenue globally, and attracts audiences from around the world, it stands to reason that sports betting has a firm footing in the UK. Playing a significant role in this is the aggressive marketing campaigns betting brands have initiated both in stadiums and during broadcasts; on the opening weekend of the 2024/25 season, there were nearly 24,000 gambling adverts displayed across Premier League broadcasts.Which demographic gambles the most online?
When it comes gender, UK online gamblers tend to be male, with 40 percent of men in Great Britain having taken part in some form of online gambling in the last four weeks as of February 2024. In comparison, 32 percent of women had done so. With sports betting, this divide is much starker, with only 18 percent of those who make online bets on football in the UK being female. Meanwhile, the age groups in Great Britain who participated the most in online gambling forms excluding National Lottery were those aged 25 to 34 years old and 35 to 44 years old.With recent research revealing the prevalence of problem gambling among younger age groups, the UK government in 2024 put in motion a series of reforms that are aimed at protecting consumers from the potentially destructive effects of gambling. Such measures include maximum stake limits on online slot games and a ban on autoplay for all forms of online gambling. After years of unfettered growth, such reforms could profoundly shape the future of the industry.
