UK Gambling Commission: Online gambling up 7% to $1.93 billion in Q1 2025

Online gambling in Great Britain posted solid growth in the first quarter of 2025, driven by strong performance in online slots, while in-person betting at retail locations declined, according to newly released operator data from the UK Gambling Commission.

Online Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) climbed 7% year-on-year to £1.45 billion ($1.93 billion) in the three months to March 2025, with total bets and spins up 5% to 25.2 billion and monthly active accounts rising 2% to 13.5 million.

Slots led the digital gains, with GGY rising 11% to £689 million ($916 million) and the number of spins increasing 6% to 23.4 billion. The average monthly number of active accounts in online slots hit a new peak at 4.5 million, up 6% year-on-year. The Commission noted that some historical data had been revised to account for game reclassification from casino to slot categories.

The number of online slots sessions lasting over an hour rose 5% to 10.1 million, although the proportion of such extended play remained steady at 6% of total sessions. The average session length was unchanged at 17 minutes.

Real event betting GGY rose 5% to £596 million ($792 million) despite a 1% drop in bets and a 2% decline in active accounts.

Meanwhile, in-person gambling at Licensed Betting Offices (LBOs) declined. GGY for retail betting fell 3% to £554 million ($736 million), with total bets and spins dropping 5% to 3.1 billion.

The regulator emphasized that the figures are based on operator-submitted data and differ from broader industry statistics, which may include free bets, bonuses, or data from additional operators.