UKGC data reveals online GGY dropped 7% from May to June
Gross gambling yield slips across all verticals except sports betting despite uptick in active player numbers
UK online gambling operators posted a collective 7% slip in total gross gambling yield (GGY) from May 2021 to June 2021, according to the latest data from the UKGC.
Operators in the UK recorded total GGY of £496m in June, down from the £533.4m posted in May.
Of that total, sports betting accounted for the largest proportion with £242.2m amid a modest 1% increase from May.
All other verticals experienced decreases in GGY during the same period.
Slots GGY fell 14% from £211.2m in May to £180.7m in June, while casino GGY dropped 10% from £65.3m to £59m.
Verticals that shone last year during the pandemic all suffered from significant GGY dips.
Virtual sports GGY dropped 18% from £7.2m to £5.9m as poker GGY decreased 20% from £7.3m to £5.8m.
Esports GGY succumbed to a massive 50% decrease in June, falling from £2m to £1m in a month.
Despite the decreases in GGY, the total number of active players in the UK actually increased from 10.9 million to 11.4 million, with the sports betting vertical recording a 9% rise in active players, likely due to Euro 2020.
Elsewhere, the average number of gambling sessions lasting an hour or more fell by 9% from May to June.
The UKGC implored operators to remain vigilant and responsible as the UK finally emerges from 18 months of on-and-off Covid-19 lockdowns.
The regulator said: “We recognise that the country is now entering a different phase as we continue to ease out of lockdown.
“We continue to expect extra vigilance from operators as consumers are impacted in different ways by the circumstances.
“Many people will still feel vulnerable as a result of the length of the pandemic period and further uncertainty about their personal or financial circumstances.”