Data compiled from operators covering approximately 80% of the online gambling market reveals notable trends in Great Britain's gambling revenue for April. The Gambling Commission noted caution in comparing year-on-year figures due to varying conditions arising from lockdowns. Overall, the revenue reported was the second-highest since the Commission began monthly publication, trailing only behind December 2020.
The Grand National and similar horse racing events were significant contributors to this rise, with gross gaming revenue (GGR) from real event betting increasing by 7.0% in March, reaching £267.4 million. In contrast, GGR from slots and other casino games experienced minor declines, with figures at £202.0 million and £71.0 million, respectively. This slight dip in slots comes after a record high revenue month.
Virtual betting and poker experienced sharper declines of 8.9% and 9.1%, resulting in revenues of £7.6 million and £8.4 million, respectively. However, esports betting saw a modest increase, rising by 2.7% to £1.9 million.
Real event betting was distinct in its growth of active players from March to April, increasing by 12.0% to 6.7 million. In contrast, the number of active players in slots and other casino games fell by 1% to 3.2 million and 2.2 million, respectively. Virtual betting players dropped by 5% to 256,233, while poker experienced the largest fall of 11%, down to 300,520.
The number of bets placed declined across the board. Slot spins decreased by 1.0% to 6.1 billion, real-event bets fell to 344.3 million, and virtual bets saw a reduction of 7.2% to 17.1 million. Poker wagers experienced the steepest decline, plunging by 19.1% to 94.7 million, while bets on other casino games went down by 3.3% to 295.6 million.
The average length of slot sessions decreased to 20 minutes, with sessions lasting over an hour dropping by 4% to 2.6 million.
Additionally, the regulator released comprehensive data for the GB market from April to September 2020, a timeframe notably affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Over this six-month period, GGY was reported at £5.89 billion. Year-on-year comparisons were omitted due to changes in reporting periods, but the data indicates a decrease of more than 10%.
