Figures from the UK Gambling Commission indicate noticeable growth in the overall industry, with financial spread betting, foreign exchange, and contracts-for-difference all prevalent in the UK market, much of it online.
Gross gambling yield for the UK between October 2014 – September 2015 was recorded as GBP 12.6 billion) compared with a figure of GBP 11.2 billion in the period between April 2014 – March 2015…a jump of 12.5 percent.
Approximately 29 percent or GBP 3.6 billion of UK gambling market share is now held by online betting, bingo and casinos, with growth remaining steady.
The National Lottery remains a popular wagering source with an increase of 2.1 percent from GBP 1.67 billion during the period between April 2014 – March 2015.
The number of retail betting shops over the period fell by 1.9 percent compared to 8,809.
Commission director James Green commented:
“For the first time the figures include almost a full year’s worth of data relating to online gambling operators – the market share of the online betting, bingo and casino sector is 29 percent and we’ll be interested to see how this varies over time. Offline we’re seeing changes. For instance, there’s been a reduction in the number of betting shops, arcades and bingo halls in the last two years.”
“Market trends and consumer participation research are key to shaping the Commission’s regulatory policy to keep gambling in Britain safe for consumers, fair, and crime-free,” he added.