Great Britain's customer-facing gambling industry generated £17.5bn ($23.8bn) in gross gambling yield (GGY) during the year to March 2026, representing a 4.4% year-on-year increase, according to new Gambling Commission data.
Excluding lotteries, GGY reached £13.2bn, up 4.7%. Growth was concentrated in the remote market, where casino, betting and bingo GGY increased 6.9% to £8.3bn.
Online casino generated £5.7bn, an increase of £736m from the previous year and the main contributor to overall industry growth. Slots accounted for £4.8bn of online casino GGY. Remote betting generated £2.4bn, including £1.2bn from football and £769.3m from horseracing, while remote bingo contributed £147.8m.
The growth came during the first financial year in which statutory online slot stake limits were introduced. A £5 maximum for players aged 25 and over took effect in April 2025, followed by a £2 limit for those aged 18 to 24 in May.
Land-based GGY increased 1.1% to £4.9bn, although performance differed across individual sectors. Retail betting GGY declined 3.3% to £2.4bn, while casino GGY edged up 0.4% to £933.9m. Bingo increased 8.2% to £703.8m and arcades rose 10.7% to £800.1m.
The physical gambling estate continued to contract. Licensed premises declined 2% to 8,081, while betting shops fell 3.6% to 5,617. The Gambling Commission said this marked the 12th consecutive reporting period in which betting-shop numbers decreased.
Great Britain gambling GGY by sector 2025/26
Gross gambling yield generated by major remote and land-based gambling sectors in Great Britain during the financial year ending March 2026.
Separate Gambling Survey for Great Britain data covering January to May 2026 found that 49% of adults had gambled during the previous four weeks. Excluding people who participated only in lottery draws, the rate was 28%.
The survey covered 5,277 adults and the Gambling Commission said overall participation remained stable over time.
The figures arrive ahead of further changes to remote gambling requirements. From 30 September, online operators must offer gross deposit limits and give them at least equal prominence to other financial limits.
In June, Gambling Commission quarterly figures showed Great Britain's gambling industry generated £4.5bn in GGY during October to December 2025, including £1.5bn from remote casino. The data also showed continued contraction in the retail estate as online gambling maintained its larger share of the non-lottery market.
Gaming machines generated £2.7bn in GGY during the financial year, up 4.3%, while National Lottery contributions to good causes reached £1.7bn
