UK Online Gambling Revenue Reaches Record High in December 2020

Digital wagering earnings in the United Kingdom reached a new peak in December of 2020, hitting £6.136 billion, a 30.5% surge. This is the most significant figure since the Gambling Commission started releasing monthly data. This was fueled by the closure of brick-and-mortar shops, a packed sporting schedule, and higher profit margins.

The figures were compiled from information provided by approximately 80% of online gambling market operators.

The Commission noted that the rapid growth in earnings could be a cause for worry.

The rise in total gambling earnings was primarily driven by a substantial increase in real-event wagering revenue, which climbed by 53% to £3.196 billion.

The Commission explained that this was due to a number of factors: a 3.1% increase in the number of participants to 5 million, a busy sports calendar, and a return to strong profit margins in October after a dip in November.

The number of wagers placed reached 293 million, an increase of 2.2%.

“We will continue to gather and monitor data to inform our risk assessment and will not hesitate to take further action if these changes appear to be more than just short-term fluctuations,” the Commission stated.

Slot machines followed closely behind, with earnings of £1.997 billion, a 12.9% increase, the highest revenue for any month.

The number of slot machine participants increased by 6.0% to 3 million.

The overall count of spins rose by 11.8 percent to 5.89 billion, also establishing a new high point.

In December, the typical slot machine game duration was 22 minutes, the same as November, while 2.5 million games stretched beyond an hour.

Other online gaming earnings were £73.9 million, up 11.0 percent from November, with 2.1 million individuals participating in non-slot online games, up 13.5 percent from November, with wagering stakes up 15.5 percent to £313.2 million.

Poker earnings climbed by 2.8 percent to £9.4 million, while virtual betting earnings were £7.9 million, up 10.8 percent. Esports betting was the only area where earnings decreased, down 6.2 percent to £1.3 million, while other earnings rose by 29.7 percent to £1.7 million.

The total count of customer interactions in December dropped by 3 percent, with most interactions being automated.

The Commission observed that this was the first instance that interactions had declined since it began publishing monthly data in March 2020. However, the number of non-automated interactions increased.

The regulatory body did not request data from retail betting shops as they were closed during the month. Yesterday, the government announced that betting shops in England will reopen on April 12, while adult gaming centers, bingo halls and casinos will reopen on May 17.

The Gambling Commission noted that the data suggests that activity in December 2020 was similar to the initial lockdown in the UK, with revenue shifting online, except that in this case, busy sporting events led to stronger real-event betting revenue.

Supervisors stated: “Information gathered in December reveals some resemblances to gaming conduct during the original confinement that commenced in March 2020, when online gaming became the sole method to gamble.”

“Although there are some likenesses, one of the primary distinguishing elements is that top athletic events are still in progress, which were prohibited during the initial confinement.”

Supervisors indicated that as the confinement persists, more individuals are spending an extended period at home, thus necessitating “enhanced operator attentiveness.”

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