The UK gambling industry is a significant market that generates billions of pounds in revenue annually. It encompasses a range of activities, including casinos, sports betting, lotteries, and online gambling.
The UK Gambling Industry Regulation
The UK gambling industry is regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, which is an independent public body established under the Gambling Act 2005. The commission is responsible for ensuring that all gambling in the UK is conducted in a fair and open way.
No provider can offer its service for UK individuals unless they are properly licenced. Lottoland, for instance, holds a UK gambling license and respects the same regulations and rules as any other gambling company based in the UK.
The commission has a range of powers that it can use to regulate the gambling industry in the UK, including but not limited to:
1. Licensing: The commission is responsible for issuing licenses to operators who want to provide gambling services in the UK. It also has the power to revoke or suspend licenses if operators are found to be in breach of the rules.
2. Enforcement: The commission has the power to investigate and take action against operators who breach the rules, including imposing fines or revoking licenses.
3. Protection: This includes ensuring that operators have effective age and identity verification systems in place.
4. Regulation of advertising: The commission has the power to regulate gambling advertising in the UK, including online and offline advertising.
The UK’s gambling industry in numbers
The number of gamblers online in the UK in 2023 was approximately 13.2 Million. In addition, 80 percent of the adults between 25-54 reported that they had played at least once in the past 12 months.
90% of respondents reported that they had gambled on gaming/casino sites and sports betting platforms, while 8% reported taking part in lotteries. In addition, 3% also reported that they were able to participate in peer-to-peer or betting exchanges during a 12-months period.
The research found that 79% of adult gamblers surveyed considered themselves recreational rather than expert gamblers. 71% said they were ‘in control’ of their gambling behaviour.
According to the Gambling Commission, 66% of gamblers were using eWallets, credit cards or debit cards. This is a significant increase in accessibility and popularity relative to the best cash payments, which only 10% of adults use.
The sum of all individual gambling expenditures was estimated to be PS724 per person. However, this number does not include smaller wagers placed through fruit machines or scratch cards. It also includes more expensive activities such as horse racing and online casinos.
This information is combined with the projected GDP levels through 2023, and it is clear that the gambling industry’s prevalence and financial impact will continue to rise over the short term before slowing down towards 2024/2025.
The UK’s gambling industry Challenges
Due to technological advances and changes in the regulatory environment, the UK gambling industry faces many challenges.
The Gambling Commission is the Government’s regulator for gambling in Great Britain. They have implemented new rules that place more restrictions on the sector. Both online and land-based operators have been affected by these regulations.
As the industry tries to adapt to these new technologies, virtual Reality (VR), as well as artificial intelligence (AI), has presented a challenge. In addition, people are increasingly able to access online-based services via tablets and mobile devices, so it is difficult for land-based providers to compete.
Takeaway
Projections show that revenue will continue to rise in 2023 despite some concerns, such as slow revenue growth due to market closures and increased competition within the market. Moreover, this growth is likely to continue even as traditional high-street gambling forms decline or disappear altogether, judging by the popularity of online casinos and betting sites.
By 2022, the total number of UK workers in this industry is already 119,000. Despite job losses being common in 2020 due to many restrictions on business operations and other factors, this trend is expected to be reversed in 2023 when more sectors return to their positions before the 2020 disruptions.
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