UKGC Q1 2025-26: Online GGY Up 2%, Slots Hit Record Highs

The UK Playing Fee (UKGC) has launched its newest dataset masking operator exercise between March 2020 and June 2025, with a selected concentrate on the primary quarter of the 2025–26 monetary yr. The figures reveal contrasting developments throughout playing verticals, with sturdy positive factors in on-line slots offsetting declines in sports activities betting and poker.

On-line Sector Sees Combined Outcomes

From April to June 2025, on-line gross playing yield (GGY) rose 2% year-on-year to £1.49 billion. This progress got here alongside a 6% rise in complete bets and spins, which reached a report 26.1 billion. Nevertheless, the typical variety of month-to-month lively accounts dropped by 10% in comparison with the identical quarter final yr, all the way down to 12.7 million.

On-line slots have been the standout performer, attaining a 14% year-on-year GGY improve to £745 million and hitting a brand new peak of 24.4 billion spins in the course of the quarter. Month-to-month lively accounts on this vertical held regular at 4.4 million. Common spins per session fell from 139 to 129, whereas GGY per session edged down from £4.01 to £3.95. The variety of periods lasting over an hour declined 9% to eight.8 million, with solely 5% of all periods exceeding the one-hour mark in comparison with 6% within the earlier yr. Common session size shortened by one minute to 16 minutes.

Actual occasion betting didn’t comply with the identical trajectory. GGY for this class fell 9% to £570 million, with complete bets down 7% and lively month-to-month accounts dropping 16%. The absence of a serious worldwide soccer occasion—corresponding to Euro 2024, which happened in the identical interval final yr—possible contributed to this decline.

Poker additionally skilled a downturn, with GGY falling 19.9% to £11.3 million and complete bets slipping from 170.9 million to 143.9 million.

Affect of New Stake Limits

The quarter was notable for the introduction of recent stake limits for on-line slots, a transfer geared toward strengthening participant safety measures. From 9 April 2025, the utmost stake was capped at £5 for all adults, adopted by a decrease £2 restrict for gamers aged 18 to 24 launched on 21 Could 2025. Regardless of these restrictions, slots efficiency improved, suggesting gamers could have compensated by rising the variety of spins positioned.

Land-Primarily based Betting Efficiency

Retail betting premises generated £552 million in GGY for the quarter, a 5% lower in comparison with Q1 final yr. The overall variety of bets and spins fell 3% to three.2 billion.

Over-the-counter bets grew by 1% to 145 million, although the related GGY dropped 12% to £148 million. Self-service betting terminals (SSBTs) recorded a 9% lower in bets to 33.4 million, whereas GGY slipped 1% to £122 million.

Gaming machines in betting retailers introduced in £281 million in GGY, a 3% decline from the earlier yr. The common spend per session fell barely to £12.19, with spins per session lowering by one to 129. Classes lasting over an hour accounted for two.6% of the entire, up barely from 2.4% in the identical interval final yr.

Modifications in Knowledge Assortment and Survey Insights

The Playing Fee famous that some operators up to date their strategies for calculating session size in the course of the quarter, which influenced the reported variety of periods and their durations.

Alongside the monetary knowledge, the UKGC additionally addressed current evaluation of the Playing Survey for Nice Britain (GSGB). Analysis led by Professor Patrick Sturgis of the London College of Economics advised that adjustments in methodology—from phone interviews to on-line self-reporting—could have influenced the recorded price of downside playing. The Fee confirmed it’s going to evaluation its steering to replicate these methodological variations.

Supply:

Market influence knowledge on playing behaviour – operator knowledge to June 2025, Playing Fee, gamblingcommission.gov.uk, August 14, 2025.