Gambling in the United Kingdom - statistics & facts

There are various forms of legal gambling in the United Kingdom. These can include casinos, betting, lotteries, bingo, scratchcards, online (or remote) gambling, and more. The industry is regulated by the Gambling Commission which represents the government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). As of March 2022, the gross gambling yield (GGY) in Great Britain amounted to a little over 14 billion British pounds, up from the previous year's GGY of 12.7 billion pounds. This increase can be understood in the context of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which drastically impacted the gambling industry due to the closure of brick-and-mortar establishments and the pausing of major sports leagues in 2020 and 2021. In March 2022, the most common type of brick-and-mortar gambling establishments in Great Britain were betting establishments.

How profitable is gambling in Great Britain?

The gross gambling yield of the bingo and casino sectors of the gambling industry in Great Britain reflected a slight downward trajectory in recent years. In March 2022, the GGY of the bingo sector amounted to 388.6 million, while the GGY of the casino sector amounted to nearly 692 million. That same year, the total number of bingo premises in Great Britain was 609, and the total number of casino premises in Great Britain was 144. The National Lottery proved to be more profitable than both of these sectors in 2022. Annual sales of the National Lottery in Great Britain generated nearly 8.1 billion British pounds during the period of April 2021 to March 2022. However, this figure shows a slight decrease from the previous period wherein the National Lottery in Great Britain generated total sales amounting to around 8.3 billion British pounds.

What is the future of gambling in the UK?

Due partly to the coronavirus pandemic, the share of the public who gambled online in Great Britain increased from 2020 to 2021. As of March 2022, the number of new online gambling registrations in Great Britain totaled approximately 32.65 million. Meanwhile, the GGY of the remote betting, bingo, and casino gambling industry in Great Britain peaked between April 2020 and March 2021. The following year, in March 2022, the GGY of the remote betting, bingo, and casino gambling industry totaled 6.4 billion British pounds. Despite the increased popularity of online gambling during the pandemic, the share of the British public that agreed that gambling was conducted fairly and can be trusted reached its lowest point in 2020. In 2021, that figure was 30.1 percent.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Mar 7, 2023

Key insights

GGY of the gambling industry in Great Britain
14.08 GBP
Average number of gaming machines in Great Britain
151.26k
Share of people who gamble weekly in Great Britain
26.9%
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Gross gambling yield (GGY) of the gambling industry in Great Britain from April 2015 to March 2022, by sector (in million GBP)

Gambling

Gross gambling yield of the gambling industry in Great Britain 2015-2022, by sector

Share of gambling participants in Great Britain from 2017 to 2021, by age

Gambling

Gambling participation in Great Britain 2017-2021, by age

Gross gambling yield (GGY) of the online (remote) betting, bingo and casino industry in Great Britain from April 2010 to March 2022 (in million GBP)

Gambling

Gross gambling yield of the online gambling industry in Great Britain 2010-2022

Related topics

Recommended

6

Recommended statistics

Overview

6

Overview

Betting

5

Betting

Casinos

3

Casinos

Online gambling

7

Online gambling

Bingo

3

Bingo

National Lottery

3

National Lottery

Problem gambling

3

Problem gambling

Further reportsGet the best reports to understand your industry

Gambling in the U.S.
Gambling in the U.S.
Sports betting industry worldwide
Sports betting industry worldwide
Betting in the United Kingdom
Betting in the United Kingdom
Gambling in the United Kingdom
Gambling in the United Kingdom
Gambling industry in Italy
Gambling industry in Italy
Gambling in Europe
Gambling in Europe

Contact

Get in touch with us. We are happy to help.
Statista Locations
Contact Meredith Alda
Meredith Alda
Client Support Specialist– Contact (United States)
Email
support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

Contact Yolanda Mega
Yolanda Mega
Operations Manager– Contact (Asia)
Email
asia.support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm (SGT)

Contact Kisara Mizuno
Kisara Mizuno
Senior Business Development Manager– Contact (Asia)
Email
support.japan@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 10:00am - 6:00pm (JST)

Contact Lodovica Biagi
Lodovica Biagi
Director of Operations– Contact (Europe)
Email
eu.support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9:30am - 5pm (GMT)

Contact Carolina Dulin
Carolina Dulin
Associate Director - LAC– Contact (Latin America)
Email
support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

Menu