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UK Gambling Growth Over the Past Decade
Today’s gambling market in the United Kingdom looks vastly different than it did ten years ago. In addition to an explosion in revenue, there has also been a significant shift in how and where people gamble, thanks to myriad online options.
This article will explore the UK’s gambling industry today and the influential elements that skyrocketed its growth in the past decade.
The UK Gambling Industry Today
The Gambling Commission regulates the UK gambling market; it licences land-based and remote gaming and ensures regulations are followed. In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the UK’s gross gambling yield (GGY) was £15.1 billion – a staggering increase from £6.3 billion a decade ago.
This revenue stems from various forms of gambling, including lotteries, casinos, slot machines, bingo halls, and online gaming. Of the £15.1 billion, £4.2 billion was generated through lottery gaming, £4.5 billion through land-based gambling, and £6.5 billion through remote gaming, including online casinos, sportsbooks, and bingo platforms.
Factors Influencing the Industry’s Growth
Several factors propelled the significant rise in revenue from £6.3 billion to £15.1 billion, with the three most influential outlined below.
Relaxed Advertising Guidelines
The growth of the UK gambling market is closely linked to the changes in regulations surrounding gambling advertising in the 2005 Gambling Act. The act came into effect two years later, allowing gambling companies to advertise all forms of gaming as long as they were licenced and regulated.
Since 2007, the presence of ads promoting gambling has steadily increased. This increase, unsurprisingly, has been linked to a rise in individual gambling, contributing to the spectacular growth the UK gambling industry has seen.
Growth of Online Gambling
Online gambling, iGaming, remote gambling, and the many other names it goes by has undoubtedly fuelled the UK’s gambling growth. In 2024, online gambling is projected to bring in £11 billion, making it the second-largest iGaming market in the world. It’s just behind the US market, which is set to earn £18.41 billion in 2024.
Online gaming has increased in popularity for a number of reasons, including advertising regulations, but also thanks to its convenience and accessibility. It’s made classic types of gambling, like casino table games, slot games, and sports betting, available right at a person’s fingertips from anywhere at any time as long as they have a device and an internet connection.
Adding to this appeal are incentives for signing up with online casinos or placing wagers at them, which entice players to find the best first deposit bonus available or to earn additional bonuses for continued playing.
Variety of Gaming Options
The online gaming marketplace is continuously growing, pumping out exciting new games and gambling platforms. Whether they’re looking to play live dealer poker, slots, or bingo, punters have a vast selection of online options to choose from. In addition, there is the continued draw of land-based gambling.
Between online platforms and land-based gambling venues, there is more variety in the market than ever before. This variety means that there are more options to suit a wide range of betting preferences, appealing to more people than the market did ten years ago.
The UK Gambling Industry’s Future
While the industry has been growing, it’s also faced increasing concern from industry experts and the general public around problem gambling, a concern which is starting to be reflected in gambling laws. Furthermore, the influence of tech developments like AI will likely impact the industry in many ways.
Changing Online Gambling Regulations
In September 2024, new restrictions on online slot game wagering will come into effect. For those under 25, the maximum wager they’ll be able to make is £2 per spin; for those 25 and older, the maximum will be £5. The intention is to reduce problem gambling associated with the addictive nature of slot games.
Stricter Ad Regulations
The increase in gambling ads since the Gambling Act came into effect has been criticised for its harmful effects, with Dr Matt Gaskell of the NHS Northern Gambling Service stating, “The evidence is clear that gambling advertising drives consumption, which increases harm.”
While the ads themselves do have some restrictions through the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), such as limiting an ad’s appeal to those under 18 years old and prohibiting the promotion of anti-social or harmful gambling behaviour, many have felt they aren’t enough.
Adding to these concerns is the tightening of ad regulations by other countries like Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands. Some of these countries have clamped down on gambling ads by restricting marketing tactics such as athlete or celebrity endorsements, while others have eliminated gambling ads altogether. The regulations around gambling ads in the UK have become a hotly debated issue and will likely lead to significant changes to the nation’s gambling advertisements.
AI Integrations
The development of AI has the potential to significantly influence the gambling industry, though it may be too early to know how AI will impact it in the long term. AI will undoubtedly enhance the gameplay experience, which has raised concerns about increasing problem gambling. However, integrating AI may also help curb problem gambling by alerting players and online platforms of potentially harmful gambling behaviour and taking action by temporarily restricting access to games.
Conclusion
In the last ten years, the UK gambling market has exploded in profitability and gambling options. It has benefited from the regulation changes of the Gambling Act of 2005, the rise of online gambling, and the increase of gambling options both online and at physical locations. All of this has added up to a multi-billion-dollar industry.
However, concerns about public health have grown in relation to gambling, and it’s more than likely that the UK will see a tightening of regulations in the years to come and a focus on gambler health.
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Experienced provider, Strive to provide its award winning player account management system and apps to Delta Bingo & Gaming Online
Strive Gaming (“Strive”), the modern, multi-state and province, multi-tenanted platform provider focused solely on the North American market, has partnered with Delta Bingo & Gaming Online (“Delta”) as it plans for an exciting growth phase of its digital business.
Delta is a pioneer in providing exciting land-based experiences from Bingo to Vegas-style machines at their 20 locations predominantly in Ontario, Canada and Maryland, USA, with ethics and charitable focus front of mind. Delta launched its digital gaming business in 2023 and is now making a significant move to expand and deepen that offering by partnering with Strive Gaming.
Under the relationship, Strive will provide its market-leading player account management services to Delta, running on the Strive Infinity Engine, which drives higher lifetime values by bringing operators closer to their players through operational automation and contextual real-time engagement.
Strive will also handle the development of front-end experiences for Delta.
Strive’s platform has been built purely for the post-PASPA North American market, designed to meet the individual needs of operators while also being compliant with differing state and provincial regulations.
Strive’s systems are already live in a multitude of states and provinces (including Ontario) with other customers such as Four Winds Casinos, PointsBet, and Golden Nugget (a DraftKings company).
Max Meltzer, CEO of Strive Gaming said: “I am delighted to add such a highly regarded and smart operator such as Delta Bingo & Gaming to our growing list of partners in North America. Once set up on our platform, we truly believe they have a team capable of achieving enormous growth for their digital business.
They have loyal land-based and digital customers that expect a best-of-industry, high quality experience in any activity, product or service that falls under the Delta brand, and we intend to ensure that this continues to be the case here”.
Leo Perri, CEO of Delta Bingo & Gaming, said: “Strive Gaming is an experienced provider in the markets we operate in and has made a great effort to understand our needs. Their specialized focus and dedication aligns with our customer experience goals, and we believe that they can help us bring our customers a world class digital casino experience.
“We’ve been impressed by not just their technology, but their team depth as well. We expect that this is going to be a true collaboration, and we look forward to working with them for a long time”
Wazdan, the leading gain-focused developer, is all set to head to the United States this May for the region’s premier iGaming gathering – SBC Summit Americas.
The supplier’s upcoming attendance in Florida at the Broward County Convention Centre, Fort Lauderdale, follows an impressive year of expansion across North America, with over 100 of its iconic titles now live with leading operators in Michigan, New Jersey, Ontario, Quebec and Pennsylvania.
A strong Wazdan cohort has been assembled for the summit, including the company’s CCO, Head of Sales, Head of Account Management, and a pool of Senior and leading Account Managers who will be on hand at Booth D650.
The studio’s portfolio of top-performing titles across the Americas are set to be showcased, featuring 9 Coins™, 15 Coins™ Grand Gold Edition, Mighty Wild™: Jaguar, Hot Slot™: 777 Cash Out, as well as the eye-catching new Burning Board™ Scratchcard offering set to revolutionise the scratchcard experience.
Attendees visiting Booth D650 will also have the chance to walk away with more than just industry insights and a deeper understanding of the Wazdan portfolio – with the supplier bringing the thrill of winning to SBC Summit Americas. Current and potential partners will be able to take part in exciting prize draws for iPhones, AirPods, AirTags and a range of additional Wazdan merchandise.
Running from May 13th to 15th, SBC Summit Americas is set to bring together more than 10,000 industry professionals and host over 400 exhibitors and sponsors, setting the stage for unparalleled networking, knowledge exchange, and growth opportunities in North, South, and Central America.
Andrzej Hyla, Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan, said: “SBC Summit Americas is where the industry’s future across the region takes shape. With over 100 certified games throughout the Americas, operating in more than 30 regulated markets and partnered with 1,500 plus operators worldwide, Wazdan is perfectly placed to lead the charge.
“Wazdan’s global presence has been underpinned by our ability to stay ahead of the curve, and we look forward to showcasing this to partners old and new, featuring a staggering $15.5 million promotional budget for the entirety of 2025 and our upcoming Burning Boards™ Scratchcard product.”
Innovative games provider ESA Gaming has received Brazilian Certification as it continues to focus on new markets.
The certification will allow ESA Gaming to distribute both its games and Game Aggregator System (GAS), to players and operators throughout Brazil.
With a mix of non-traditional content such as football-themed mine games and crash style games, as well as established casino classics, ESA’s games have a proven cross-selling capacity, without cannibalisation, helping sportsbooks to prolong brand loyalty and add revenue.
ESA Gaming has enjoyed a positive 12 months of growth, signing numerous agreements in key territories, as well as expanding its portfolio with the addition of multiple slot titles and, most recently, its first Plinko game; Plinko Drops.
The supplier also holds certifications in Portugal, Italy, Greece, Colombia, South Africa as well as an MGA supplier licence, highlighting the provider’s intentions to grow its product range in regulated markets.
Thomas Smallwood, CCO at ESA Gaming, said: “Receiving our Brazilian certification is a hugely exciting moment for us in our step towards expansion in LatAm. The Brazilian market has a huge potential and we are eager to see how our titles are received.
“It is the first important milestone of 2025 for us that we hope can act as a springboard for further growth.”
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