23 Mar Gambling in the UK: 9 Fascinating Facts
Gambling has been part of the lifeblood of the UK for centuries. Few things beat the thrill of placing a wager and getting a generous return that can be spent while relaxing at the pub. With gambling moving online, punting is more accessible and offers more significant opportunities than ever before.
With the industry’s vast and ever-changing landscape, plenty is happening that often doesn’t even get down the grapevine to players. So, to share the most fascinating insights into the industry, we’ve found nine fascinating facts about gambling in the UK.
The UK’s first online casino was established in 1996.
While it is common knowledge that Microgaming launched the world’s first online casino in 1994, many don’t know that UK residents couldn’t access it. The site, called the Gaming Club, was launched in South Africa only and was only available to residents.
It was a full two years after the Gaming Club appeared online that online gambling made its way to the UK. Titled InterCasino, the first site accepting local players was operated by Cryptologic, a strong opponent to Microgaming.
Lotteries beat any other type of gambling.
Despite the incredible growth of online casinos and sports betting in recent years, these two forms of gambling still fall short of the reigning king. Established in 1994, the National Lottery is still the most widely enjoyed form of gambling nationwide.
Attracting almost a third of the region’s entire population yearly, the lottery accounts for more players than online casinos and sports betting combined. However, it remains to be seen if this will continue as sports betting, particularly, continues to grow traction.
Gambling is strictly prohibited if undertaken on credit.
Although previously allowed, the UK government decided in 2020 to prohibit the use of credit cards when gambling online. This was done to help build a more sustainable gambling industry that was more responsible for the safety and wellness of punters.
While the removal of a popular deposit option may sound counterproductive to growing an industry, punters in the country are still left with many great options. These include debit cards issued by Visa or Mastercard, e-wallets like Skrill or Neteller, and even crypto on certain sites.
Casino promotions such as welcome bonuses are heavily regulated.
Finding the best first deposit bonus for a casino is often the first thing a punter wants to do when looking for a new site to play on. These bonuses offer great appeal and incentivise players to register an account—precisely as they are meant to do.
Gamblers claiming these deals may not know that the government scrutinises them before they are ever displayed on an iGaming website. This step ensures that the advertised bonus is transparent in its terms and conditions and cannot lead any punter astray in the definition or expectation of what they will receive should they claim the promotion.
Gambling contributes ridiculous amounts to the coffers of HM Revenue and Customs.
Like in any country where the government heavily regulates an industry, the UK government makes billions each year from gamblers. This money is received in the form of taxes billed to operators as payment for being allowed to offer their services.
In 2023, the UK gambling market generated a GGY (gross gambling yield) of £15.1 billion. Of this, more than £3.3 billion was generated by betting and gaming tax receipts. For this reason, the UK government is so open to allowing the industry to thrive.
Between April 2022 and March 2023, the average UK gambler played online slots for 17 minutes per session.
Slots have always been one of the most popular online casino games. With fantastic titles from developers like Evolution, NetEnt, and Pragmatic Play, this is no surprise. For many gamblers, the entertainment of these slots makes them hard to turn off.
This is clear when looking at the stats between 2022 and 2023. On average, each gamer spent at least 17 minutes playing a slot each time they logged on. In March 2023, more than 3.1 million gamers played slots for more than an hour, significantly boosting the national average.
Men are more likely to be affected by problem gambling than women.
There is no denying that the UK takes strong precautions to protect all players from the harmful effects of gambling. However, regardless of the efforts made, some punters may still suffer from problem gambling.
Statistics show that the region currently has around 168,149 problem gamblers. Of these, 148,004 are men, with only 20,145 women having addictive tendencies toward the pastime. More than this, it is estimated that over 1.3 million men are at risk of becoming problem gamblers. For women, the statistics are only calculated at 390,656.
In the last year, more than 14 million people gambled online during the same month.
March 2023 saw incredible statistics emerge from the UK iGaming market, as more than 14 million punters used online casinos or placed bets on upcoming sporting events.
Live sports betting was the most popular gambling method, while the classic online poker option was the least used, attracting around 230,000 players. Online slots also topped the charts, attracting more than four million hopeful gamblers.
Football is the sport of choice for UK gamblers engaging in sports betting.
As home to the Premier League, which is broadcast to over 210 countries, it is no surprise that the UK prefers to place bets on football over any other sport. In fact, an estimated 45% of all wagers placed on sports in the territory are for the beloved game.
Proving that tradition can hold its own, horse racing comes second, accounting for around 37% of bets. Other sports, such as golf, tennis, boxing, rugby, and cricket, are also popular, while the least chosen include American MLB, NBA, and NFL.
