The Gambling Commission will begin to wind down its Market Impact dataset operations.
The Covid dataset, also known as the Market Impact dataset, was launched in April 2020 and collected information from some of the largest gambling operators as a way to monitor the effects of the pandemic on the industry.
This gave regulators, operators and the UK Government real-time data on how the crisis was affecting gambling businesses.
Rab Grewal, Gambling Commission Market and Regulatory Insight Senior Manager, said: “During the pandemic, understanding how the world was changing and having timely data was crucial.
“This dataset became one of our most useful tools in helping us and the Government understand the market during that unprecedented time.”
However, since the initiative was launched, the Commission has moved from annual to quarterly results, as per modern policies.
Grewal explained: “As a result of this change, a degree of overlap between the two datasets became apparent, and we are mindful of the need to constantly review administrative burdens imposed on businesses.”
The Commission’s Industry Statistics has moved to a quarterly publication schedule, which has reduced the need for any additional market data scopes.
Grewal concluded: “As we draw this Market Impact dataset to a close, we would like to thank all the operators who have contributed over the years.
“Their commitment, during an initially challenging time was invaluable in assessing risk.”
The final dataset from the Market Impact publication will be released in May and will contain data from January to March 2026.
Going forward, the Commission will move its attention to the Regular Feed of Operator Core Data (ROCD) project that collects data from operators on customer gambling behaviour.
The first Covid Market Impact data set found that real event betting fell 11% in March 2020 compared to 2019, but slots increased by 25%, poker grew by 53% and virtual betting almost doubled
