UK Gambling Stats

Get the numbers on betting and gambling in the UK.

Users in the UK are able to gamble online and in person at bookies, casinos and pubs holding a license from the UK Gambling Commission. To understand the scale of the industry, we’ve put together the key facts on gambling in the UK.

To build a clear picture of statistics and trends in the UK, our team researched different sources and compiled a broad array of data insights. We have presented the results below and will update regularly throughout 2022 as fresh data becomes available. Sources are indicated with each data point.

1. There were 31.88 million online gambling customer accounts in Great Britain from April 2021 – March 2022.

Source: UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) Official Industry Statistics – May 2022

2. There were 32.65 million new online gambling player registrations in Great Britain from April 2021 – March 2022.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2022

3. There was £910.5 million held in online gambling customer accounts in Great Britain from April 2022 – March 2023.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2022

4. The gross gambling yield of the gambling industry in Great Britain was £5.9 billion between April 2020 and September 2020.

Source: UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

5. There are 9,036 active gambling premises in the UK, a fall of 11% from March 2020.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

6. There are 6,735 betting shops in the UK.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

7. There are 131 casinos in the UK.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

8. There are 601 bingo premises in the UK.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

9. There are 1,390 adult gaming centres in the UK.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

10. There are 179 family entertainment centres in the UK.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

11. 60.5% of people who participate in sports betting in the UK place a bet at least once a week.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

12. Total turnover for remote casinos (online casinos, phone and TV) was £25 billion between July and September 2020.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

13. The gross gambling yield for remote casinos (online casinos, phone and TV) was £899 million between July and September 2020.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

14. 5.8% of gamblers participated in sports betting at least once a month in 2020.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

15. 22.1% of gamblers participated in a form of gambling at least 2 or more days a week.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

16. 26.7% of male gamblers participate in at least one form of gambling a month.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

17. 20.6% of female gamblers participate in at least one form of gambling a month.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

18. There are 85 VAT/PAYE based enterprises in the gambling and betting activities sector in the UK with a turnover of over £5 million.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

19. The average weekly household expenditure on gambling payments in the UK is £2.40

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

20. The lottery accounts for the highest share of gambling activity in the UK – 39.4%

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

21. Sports betting accounts for 5.3% of gambling activity in the UK.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

22. Online slot games account for 4.1% of gambling activity in the UK.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

23. Horse racing betting accounts for 2.9% of gambling activity in the UK.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

24. Bingo accounts for 2.1% of gambling activity in the UK.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

25. 31.2% of gambling participants in the UK are aged 16-24.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

26. As of September 2020, there are 30.64 million active online gambling customer accounts in the UK.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

27. Between April 2020 and September 2020, there were 15.28 million new online gambling player registrations in the UK.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

28. As of September 2020, there was £838.18 million held in online gambling customer accounts in the UK.

Source: UKGC Official Industry Statistics – May 2021

The people behind this page

Compare.bet's online gambling content experts helped write, edit and check this page:

Sam Buckingham

Sam Buckingham

Sam is a contributor at Compare.bet and has a passion for football and American football. He has an MSC in International Marketing & spent time abroad at Louisiana State University. He has also worked on our interview series for Compare.bet news, speaking to Robert Huth, Glen Johnson and Louis Saha among others. Sam enjoys following Leicester City, the LSU Tigers and the NFL in his spare time.