UK posts massive $22B in gambling industry earnings

The UK Gambling Commission has posted the results for April 2024 through March 2025 ahead of the Autumn Budget, revealing that the UK’s gambling industry has grown massively. The Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) was £16.8 billion ($22.1 billion), a 7.3% growth.

This has been attributed to the rise of remote gambling, despite the government proposing a single tax. With multiple companies releasing various apps, it’s never been easier to simply gamble on the go. As such, the UKGC reports that the remote sector of the industry now makes up 46% of the total market. For comparison, bookies and “land-based” gambling sits at 29%, making £4.8 billion ($6.3 billion).

Meanwhile, the lottery is still sitting pretty at 25%, earning £4.2 billion ($5.5 billion) overall between April and March.

However, while the gambling industry is thriving in the UK, a 2.9% loss of physical locations appears to be just the very tip of the iceberg. A reported 1.1% decrease in “licensed gambling premises” and 1.8% decrease in the number of “betting shops” is a slight indication of where the industry is heading.

This is also reflected in the number of operators and activities licensed in the UK. 2024 to 2025 saw a 3.7% decrease to 2179 gambling operators, while activities dropped by 2.3% to 3086.

Online gambling leads the way in the UK

While “land-based” gambling made £4.8 billion, gaming machines made £2.6 billion ($3.4 billion). In the UK, these aren’t just in betting shops, but can be found in pubs and other venues.

It’s not all just profit, as the report includes contributions to charities and “good causes.” The National Lottery donated £1.6 billion ($2.1 billion), a 4.5% increase from the prior year. £484.6 million was also donated by society lotteries. Again, a 4.8% increase year-on-year.

All said, the star attraction is that remote gambling boom. The UKGC reports that online casino gaming made £5 billion ($6.6 billion), of which £4.2 billion was made solely from slots. Football (soccer) led the sports betting way, with £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) made of the total £2.6 billion ($3.4 billion) accrued. Horse racing followed, totalling £766.7 million (around $1 billion). Remote bingo contributed £165.6 million ($218 million).

Featured image: UK Gambling Commission, Wikicommons

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