Britain’s online gambling revenue grew in September, after consecutive months of declining market share, according to data from the Gambling Commission.
Great Britain betting market numbers
Information from the largest operators, representing 80% of the online market, showed that gross income from online gambling (GGY) increased 3% over the previous month in September, reaching £ 420 million.
Although the total number of bets has decreased by 4%, the number of active accounts has increased by 7% compared to August. This was driven by the return of the Premier League in September, after a break due to the 2019 – 2020 season ending, which caused sports betting to grow by 15%, reaching £ 189.7 million, after a 21% reduction in August.
Bets made rose 5%, while the number of active players rose 14% vertically. However, there were declines in most other online verticals. Online slots decreased by 4% to £ 157.4 million, the lowest figure during the coronavirus pandemic since March.
Other online games, including casino games, shrank 5% for £ 56.6 million, while poker also dropped 5% to £ 7.9 million.
Virtual sports betting has continued to decline since the summer boom, with GGY decreasing 9% to £ 6.1 million in September. It was the same case for eSports, with GGY plummeting by £ 1.3 million, down 28%, after a 29% decrease in the previous month.
Gambling industry faces new period of restrictions
The Gaming Commission said: “Gaming behaviors have continued to evolve as the country responds to various levels of restrictions and we will continue to be vigilant due to the new national blockades announced in recent weeks.”
Local authorities have imposed new restrictions in certain sectors of the economy due to the recent increase in cases. To date, Britain has recorded 1.2 cases of coronavirus with 50,000 deaths. Worldwide, the disease has already infected 52.7 million people.