In September, total slot yield in Great Britain dropped by 4.1% month-over-month to £157.4 million (€175.3 million/$207.1 million), according to data from operators representing 80% of the market. The volume of bets placed also declined by 4.1%, reaching 4.71 billion, despite a 6.3% increase in the number of active players.
There was also a decrease in yield for other casino games, which fell by 4.9% to £56.6 million.
As slots struggled, online sports betting emerged as the dominant sector in gross gaming yield (GGY), buoyed by the return of the Premier League. GGY from this vertical increased by 15.3% to £189.7 million, with active players rising 13.9% to 4.3 million and bets placed increasing 4.6% to 246.6 million.
Meanwhile, other gambling products, which had fared better during lockdown, saw declines in September. Esports betting experienced the steepest drop, falling 28.3% to £1.3 million. Poker, having peaked at £20.1 million during lockdown in April, decreased 5.4% to £7.9 million, while virtual sports revenues fell by 9.7% to £6.7 million. Additional gambling activities contributed £1.4 million in yield.
Despite these setbacks in online casino play, the average session time in September remained consistent at 21 minutes, unchanged since June. However, sessions lasting over an hour fell to their lowest level since March.
During this time, operators conducted 995,058 customer interactions, though most were automated. Direct interactions with staff remained constant at 4%.
The launch of the 2020-21 Premier League season also positively impacted retail betting in Great Britain. Data from operators covering 85% of the market revealed a 1.5% rise in over-the-counter yield to £72.3 million, with self-service betting terminals (SSBTs) posting a substantial GGY increase of 68.9% to £27.6 million.
Despite a £2 stake cap, betting shop machines saw an 8.3% rise in yield, amounting to £86.6 million. The total number of machine sessions increased 9.7% to 8.4 million, and sessions exceeding an hour reached 233,505. The Commission cautioned that this uptick might indicate greater intensity of play, urging licensees to adhere to customer protection guidelines.
