£12.80 billion – is the average yearly revenue in Great Britain’s gambling industry. According to gambling statistics, in 2024, the UK is the second-top online gambling nation in the world. With more than 67% of the Brits participating in some form of betting, there is a constant need for existing casinos to expand and new casinos to emerge to meet the demand.
Overview of the online casinos industry in the UK
- Gambling increases by at least 5% each year.
- 60% of all gamblers prefer online casino gaming more than land-based casinos.
- Betting, Bingo and Arcades in land-based casinos yield about 4.5 million.
- Total number of betting shops in Great Britain is 5,995.
- Each year, new casino registrations with UK casinos increase by 10%.
- The number of active accounts by UK casino players increases by 4.0% each quarter.
- At the end of each reporting period, players’ accounts in all UK casinos total to 1+ billion.
- Among casinos that offer remote gambling on sports, football bets lead with about 2.3 billion in total bets, and horse riding yields £730 million.
- Online or remote casinos, sports betting and bingo games made about £6.5 billion in revenue.
8,301 number of gambling premises in the UK
According to the latest report by the UK Gambling Commission, there were approximately 8,301 gambling premises in Great Britain, 5,995 of which are betting shops. The land-based casino industry generated about 4.5 billion, which is slightly less than half of the total revenue in the gambling sector.
2,343 Gambling operators in the UK
For three years in a row, the United Kingdom has cemented its position as a front-runner in the gambling industry, thanks to studies published by the UKGC and Statista. Note that several parent companies own two or more online casinos.
White Label Casinos are gambling sites or apps under one colossal company. Some of the best gambling operators in multiple casinos include Aspire Gaming Ltd, All Sister Sites, and Skill On Net. You can also look at this list of the most trusted sister casino sites with fast withdrawals in the UK.
There are two types of casinos for UK players: regulated sites and anonymous casinos. Regulated casinos are the ones covered in major reports, and they only accept fiat currency. However, if you want to gamble using crypto, you can check this list for the best anonymous casinos.
Summary of activity and revenue in UK online casino operators in 2024 (80% of active players)
| Type of gamble | Total number of players | Total number of bets placed | Gross gambling revenue/yield |
| Slots | £4.4 million | £7.4 billion | £213 million |
| Other casino games | £2.6 million | £334 million | £53 million |
| Sports Betting on Events | £6.1 million | £290 million | £228 million |
| Virtual Sports Betting | £150,988 | £8.6 million | £3.3 million |
| Poker | £210,417 | £53 million | £4.6 million |
Contribution to responsible gambling increased.
The extensive range of casino operators has also boosted responsible gambling initiatives. According to the latest casino news, top UK casinos have surpassed their £100 million pledge on gambling harm donations. While the Big 5 casinos contributed £122.5 million, other casino members of the Betting and Gaming Council donated an additional £50 million.
These funds have been allocated to facilitate education, sensitisation, and prevention of gambling-related harms and addiction. It’s also worth noting that the UK casino fraternity has pledged an extra £10 million to support the Young People’s Gambling Harm Prevention Programme and GamCare.
Furthermore, the National Lottery made £1.7 billion in Primary contributions to good causes in Great Britain, while large society lotteries made £421.7 million in donations to charitable causes.
Why are there so many casinos in Britain?
Favourable regulations in the United Kingdom have created a conducive environment for gambling operators. The UKGC has standardised operator practices by licensing and regulating individual gambling businesses. Any casino owner or operator must meet three basic objectives of the UKGC before being licensed.
- Casinos must prove they have ways of ensuring that gambling on their site or app does not facilitate crime or illegalities.
- Operators must uphold fairness and transparency in all gambling activity.
- Owners and operators are required to prove that they can protect children and adults with gambling issues from gambling-related harms on their sites or apps.
To sum up, growth in the UK market can be attributed to advanced technological frameworks, from emerging iGaming software to the invention of game-friendly smartphones and tablets. While the current gambling market is vast, experts, including specialists at BestCasino, have projected that it will grow by about 7.4% by the end of the year.
