The UK’s online gambling industry grew in the second quarter of 2025, with total gross gambling yield (GGY) reaching £1.49 billion – a 2% increase from the same period last year, according to figures released by the Gambling Commission. This growth was largely fueled by a record performance in the online slots sector, even as new staking restrictions were introduced.
Compared to Q1 2025, overall GGY rose 3%. The number of total bets and spins during the quarter also climbed 6% year-on-year, hitting 26.1 billion. However, the average number of monthly active users declined by 10% to 12.7 million.
Record Online Slots Revenue Despite Stake Caps
Online slots were the standout performer, generating a record £745 million in GGY—a 14% increase year-on-year. This growth came in the face of new stake limits implemented on 9 April, capping wagers at £5 per spin for players aged 25 and over, and £2 for younger players.
Slot activity also peaked, with spins reaching an all-time high of 24.4 billion—up 8% from the previous year. The average number of monthly active slot accounts remained steady at 4.4 million.
The changes to staking limits were part of a broader regulatory shift introduced in the UK government’s Gambling Act white paper, published in April 2023.
Mixed Results Across Other Gambling Segments
While slots thrived, other gambling verticals reported declines. Real event betting GGY dropped 9% to £570 million, with bet volumes down 7% and active accounts falling 16%. The drop was attributed in part to the absence of a major sports tournament, such as the Euros held during Q2 2024.
Other online casino games, including table games, saw GGY fall 9% to £145 million. Online poker GGY fell even more sharply, down 21% to £11 million. Virtual betting and esports also declined, with GGY dropping 12% to £9 million and 7% to £4 million, respectively.
Session Times Shorten as User Activity Shifts
The Gambling Commission also reported changes in how long players are spending on games. The average session length dropped by one minute to 16 minutes, while the proportion of sessions lasting over one hour fell from 6% to 5%. The Commission noted that updates in session tracking by some operators may have influenced these metrics.
Land-Based Gambling Also Contracts
The report included figures for Britain’s land-based betting sector, which saw GGY decline 5% to £552 million. This includes a 3% drop in machine-based GGY to £281 million, a 12% fall in over-the-counter betting to £148 million, and a 2% dip in self-service terminal GGY to £122 million.
Activity in physical locations also declined slightly, with total bets and spins down 3% to 3.2 billion. There were 24 million machine sessions recorded, including around 600,450 that lasted more than an hour.
Looking ahead, land-based performance may improve, as new reforms allowing more gaming machines were passed into law in July.
Source:
“Great Britain online slots GGY hits new high in Q2 despite new staking limits”, igamingbusiness.com, August 15, 2025
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