UKGC Publishes Q1 2025-26 Gaming Industry Report

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has published data on the performance of the British gaming sector for the period between March 2020 and June 2025 (Q1). The data shows a decrease in sports betting, which was offset by growth across other verticals.

UKGC Reports GGY Metrics for Q1

According to the UKGC, the online gross gaming yield (GGY) for the first quarter of the 2025-2026 fiscal year stood at GBP 1.49 billion. This figure is equivalent to an increase of 2% compared to Q1 2024-2025, demonstrating continued growth in iGaming.

The UKGC added that the total number of online bets and spins experienced a 6% increase year-on-year, reaching 26.1 billion. However, the average number of monthly active accounts decreased by 10% from the prior-year period, reaching 12.7 million.

At the same time, real event betting GGY stood at GBP 570 million, down 9% YOY. This was due to a 7% decrease in total bets, as well as a 16% decrease in active accounts.

Slots GGY, on the other hand, increased by 14% to GBP 745 million. This reflected an 8% increase in the number of total spins. The UKGC added that the average monthly active accounts remained stable at 4.4 million. It also noted that the slots GGY and total spins represented new peaks.

Betting premises GGY experienced a 5% slump YOY to GBP 552 million. This was due to a 3% reduction in bets and spins to 3.2 billion.

Fewer People Played for over an Hour

The UKGC’s report highlighted additional facts about gaming in Q1 2025-2026. Among other things, the regulator said that the number of online slots sessions lasting over an hour decreased by 9% YOY to 8.8 million. These sessions represented only 5% of all sessions, down from 6% in the prior-year period.

As a result, the average slots session length decreased by 1 minute to 16 minutes. The UKGC noted that several operators have refined their session length methodology during the quarter, which has had an overall impact on the number of sessions.

The UKGC also pointed out that Q1 saw the introduction of a maximum stake limit for online slots. This limit sets the maximum bet at GBP 2 per spin for adults aged 18 to 24 and GBP 5 for everyone older than that. The limit went live on May 21 this year.