Record slots revenue boosts UK online gambling by 13% in Q3 of 2024


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Record slots revenue boosts UK online gambling by 13% in Q3 of 2024

The UK Gambling Commission reported that gross gambling yield (GGY) from major regulated operators reached £1.32 billion in Q3. This marks a 13% year-on-year increase, although it reflects a sequential decline from £1.46 billion in Q2.

Revenue growth was mainly driven by a 16% rise in GGY from online slots, setting a record at £689 million. The average spins per session dropped slightly from 147 in Q3 2023 to 142, though session durations extended, with a 9% rise in players spending over an hour per session, totaling 10 million. While the average GGY per session decreased from £4.20 to £4.13, total sessions rose by 18%, with an average session length remaining steady at 17 minutes.

The Gambling Commission estimates that its data reflects around 80% of the regulated market, acknowledging potential impact from one operator’s reclassification of certain products as slots.

In other sectors, online real event betting GGY saw a 6% year-on-year increase to £453 million, with active accounts up 9% despite a 10% decrease in bets. Retail betting GGY fell 1% to £533 million, with total bets stable year-on-year but over-the-counter bets down by 6%, while bets through self-service terminals rose by 9%.

Overall, monthly active accounts grew by 8%, and total bets across all segments increased by 12% to £25.2 billion.

Meanwhile, the UK government chose not to raise gambling taxes in the autumn budget. Despite speculation from think-tank reports, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that gambling tax will remain tiered at 15% to 50% for land-based venues, with Gross Gaming Yield bands frozen from April 2025 to March 2026. The remote gambling tax rate remains at 21%, with a planned consultation next year to consider unifying the tax structure across online and other remote gambling channels.


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