Active accounts and gross gaming income decreased from March 2020 to May 2021, according to the latest data from the Gambling Commission.
The first decreased 14%, with the second decreasing 5%. Jackpots, however, remained at a similar level.
Yield increased to £211m from April to May, with the number of spins increasing by 2% and active players decreasing 5%. The number of online slot sessions lasting more than one hour has decreased by 1%, with the average session length increasing to 20.7 minutes. Almost 9% of all sessions lasted longer than an hour.
The Commission noted, however, that “it is not advisable to make annual comparisons between months in 2020 and months in 2021, due to different operational circumstances in 2020 and 2021”.
The agency also recommended operators to increase vigilance, saying:
We recognize that the country is now entering a different phase as we continue to ease the way out of the blockade. We continue to expect extra vigilance from operators as consumers are affected in different ways by circumstances.
Many people will still feel vulnerable as a result of the length of the pandemic period and more uncertainty about their personal or financial circumstances.
It is likely that many people have reverted to new routines and game habits during the block that can be difficult to change as things get back to normal, even if normal spending on other things resumes. This can be challenging for some and important for operators to identify through monitoring.
About the Gambling Commission
The Gambling Commission is a public executive body of the UK government responsible for the regulation and supervision of gambling law in Great Britain.
Its mission covers betting, bingo, casinos, slot machines and lotteries, as well as remote gaming, but not scatter betting.
The Commission’s stated goals are to keep crime out of the game and protect the vulnerable. The Commission replaced the Gaming Council of Great Britain in 2007. In 2013, it assumed responsibility for regulating the National Lottery.
