More Spins for Less Profit Suggests the Latest UK Gambling Data

by Roy Brindley, 12 February 2026

New third-quarter Gambling Commission data shows more spins but less profit, while real event betting takes a big hit.

In terms of the UK’s gross gambling yield, the land-based sector has a 29% market share.

Key Facts:

• The total number of bets and spins shows a 6% year-on-year increase.
• Gross gambling yield for the third quarter period decreased by 2%.
• Real event betting takes a big hit with gross yield dropping by 18%.
• Approximately 4.4% of all play sessions lasted more than one hour, another drop.

The Gambling Commission has published a new set of data regarding online and in-person gambling in betting premises in Great Britain. The latest figures compare October to December 2025’s figures with the corresponding period in 2024.

This period is the third financial quarter since a maximum stake limit for online slot games was introduced. The £5 limit for all adults went live on April 9th 2025, and the £2 limit for adults aged 18 to 24 went live on May 21st 2025. The limits appear to have had an effect.

Despite the total number of bets and spins indicating a 6% year-on-year increase to 27.4 billion, operator data shows the online total gross gambling yield – the amount retained by gambling operators after the payment of winnings before operating costs – for the period decreased by 2%.

Slots Are a Winner, Real Events Falter

During the same timeframe, the number of average monthly active accounts also fell by 2%, to 12.7 million. The big loser is real event betting. Its gross yield dropped by 18% year-on-year (to £530 million). The number of bets decreased by 6%, while the average monthly active accounts shrank by 7%.

Slot games have been a winner. Their gross gambling yield increased by 10% to £788 million. The number of spins increased 7% to 25.7 billion, while the average monthly active accounts increased 5% to 4.6 million per month.

The gross gambling yield and number of spins are new records, but they come at a time when players are playing for shorter periods. The latest figures show that the number of online casino slot sessions lasting more than an hour decreased by 16% to 8.9 million during the data period.

Approximately 4.4% of all sessions lasted more than one hour – a fall from 6.2% in Q3 the previous year – while the average session length decreased by 2 minutes to 16 minutes.

Casino, Betting and Bingo Sector Is the Biggest Winner

The drop in real event betting turnover is mirrored in figures for betting premises, where gross gambling yield fell by 7% to £549 million compared to the same quarter in 2024. The total number of bets and spins also decreased by 1% to 3.1 billion.

Previously released statistics for the financial year April 2024 to March 2025 showed the gross gambling yield for the industry was £16.8 billion, an increase of 7.3% over 2023-2024’s figure. This rise was primarily driven by online gambling, which rose by more than £900 million to £7.8 billion annually.

In terms of gross gambling yield, the remote casino, betting, and bingo sector accounts for 46% of the market in Great Britain. The land-based sector has a 29% market share. Licensed lotteries account for 25% of the industry, with a £4.2 billion share.