The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has released its quarterly update covering operator data from April to June 2025, providing a snapshot of both online and retail gambling activity. The figures show overall online gambling Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) rose by 2% year-on-year to £1.49 billion, despite recent regulatory changes that introduced new stake limits for slots.
The number of total online bets and spins climbed 6% compared to the same period last year, reaching 26.1 billion. However, engagement appeared to cool, as average monthly active accounts dropped by 10% to 12.7 million.
Slots continued to dominate digital play, generating £745 million in GGY, an increase of 14% from the previous year. Spins on slots surged to 24.4 billion, also marking a record for the dataset. Monthly active slot accounts held steady at 4.4 million. While activity was higher, players’ average behavior shifted: spins per session fell from 139 to 129, and the GGY per session dipped slightly from £4.01 to £3.95.
The new stake limits for slots came into force during the quarter, with a £5 maximum for all adults introduced on April 9 and a stricter £2 cap for those aged 18 to 24 starting on May 21. Despite these restrictions, revenue gains suggest players adapted by increasing the volume of play rather than reducing overall spend.
Sports Betting and Retail Declines
The picture was less positive for real event betting. GGY from online sports wagers dropped 9% to £570 million, alongside a 7% fall in the number of bets placed. Average monthly active accounts in this segment declined by 16%. Analysts attribute much of this decline to the absence of a major international football tournament, contrasting with the men’s Euro 2024, which boosted figures during the same period last year.
Retail betting also faced a downturn. High street betting premises recorded a 5% year-on-year decline in GGY, totaling £552 million. The number of bets and spins fell 3% to 3.2 billion. Within this segment, over-the-counter (OTC) bets rose slightly by 1% to 145 million, yet GGY dropped 12% to £148 million. Self-service betting terminals (SSBTs) saw a sharper contraction, with bets down 9% to 33.4 million and GGY slipping 1% to £122 million.
Machine play in retail outlets followed the downward trend. Machines produced £281 million in GGY, a 3% decline compared to last year, with average spend per session easing from £12.26 to £12.19. The typical number of spins per session also edged down from 130 to 129.
Changing Player Behaviours and Safer Gambling
The data also provided insight into evolving player patterns and safer gambling measures. Online slots sessions lasting longer than an hour declined by 9% year-on-year to 8.8 million, representing 5% of all sessions compared with 6% the year before. Overall, the total number of sessions rose 16% to 189 million, while average session length decreased by one minute to 16 minutes.
The Commission noted that some operators had refined their session length reporting methodologies, which affected session counts and average durations. At the same time, gambling businesses recorded a significant increase in player interventions. Customer interactions grew by 53% year-on-year to 4.4 million, with direct contacts rising 58%. The regulator explained that updates to “markers of harm” algorithms contributed to this surge.
Offline indicators also highlighted shifts in gambling duration. Approximately 2.6% of retail machine sessions exceeded one hour, a slight increase compared with 2.4% in the prior year.
Broader Regulatory and Survey Developments
The UKGC’s Q1 release was accompanied by commentary on its updated Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB). The regulator acknowledged that self-reporting methods may influence results, as the new survey reported a problem gambling rate of 2.5% compared with 0.5% in earlier health surveys. Researchers, including Patrick Sturgis of the London School of Economics, suggested that methodology—such as moving from telephone interviews to online self-reporting—likely played a role in the shift.
The Commission confirmed it will review its guidance on interpreting GSGB estimates to ensure they align more closely with the reasons behind these discrepancies.
Source:
Market impact data on gambling behaviour - operator data to June 2025, gamblingcommission.gov.uk, August 14, 2025
Market overview - operator data to June 2025 (published August 2025), gamblingcommission.gov.uk, August 2025
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