Due to the impact Covid-19 is having on operations across the UK we have had to reduce our phoneline opening hours.

Our phonelines are open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 10 am and 4 pm.

The contact us service is also available for answers to common questions and we will aim to respond to these enquiries as quickly as possible.

If you have a question about your gambling, or the gambling of someone close to you, our FAQs from gambling consumers during lockdown may provide valuable information. Our what we do page also provides an overview of the types of queries we are able to help consumers with in the first instance.

The National Gambling Helpline is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through GamCare. It is there to support those suffering from gambling problems or those concerned about the affect gambling is having on people close to them. You can call them free on 0808 8020 133, or visit gamcare.org.uk.

If you are a gambling operator please read our Frequently Asked Questions for gambling businesses.
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Gambling business data on gambling during Covid-19

Please note that a more recent version of this page is available. 

To help give a clear and more rounded picture of current gambling behaviours, we have taken data from gambling operators on a range of areas which are available to view in the tables below.

Data from operators

Please note that changes in data could be due to a variety of factors impacting the market since Mar 2019.

Table 1: Total number of active player accounts as of 31 March 2019 and as of 31 March 2020

Data from the biggest operators, covering approximately 80% of the online gambling market.

Note: a player may have accounts with more than one operator.

 

Total Actives (as of 31 March 2019)

Total Actives (as of 31 March 2020)

% change

Total

 15,589,027

 15,090,341

-3.2%

 

Table 2: Total number of active players per vertical during March 2019 and March 2020

Data from the biggest operators, covering approximately 80% of the online gambling market.

Note: a player may be active in more than one product, so these columns must not be summarised to give an overall total number of players.

 

March 2019

March 2020

% Change

Slots

2,095,824

2,618,165

25%

Other gaming (incl. casino)

1,712,986

1,930,885

13%

Betting (Real event)

5,200,165

4,635,552

-11%

Betting (Virtual)

206,664

388,786

88%

Poker

266,294

408,316

53%

 

Table 3: Total number of bets placed per vertical during March 2019 and March 2020

Data from the biggest operators, covering approximately 80% of the online gambling market.

 

March 2019

March 2020

% Change

Slots

4,206,811,552

5,261,824,388

25%

Other gaming (incl. casino)

 

250,562,248

 

257,311,436

 

3%

Betting (Real event)

276,386,174

191,807,193

-31%

Betting (Virtual)

14,813,552

20,758,180

40%

Poker

96,202,170

133,078,469

38%

 

Table 4: Session length

Data from the biggest operators, covering approximately 80% of the online gambling market showing average session length in minutes and the number of sessions that lasted an hour or longer in March 2019 and March 2020.

 

March 2019

March 2020

Change

Av. session length (minutes)

26

22

-4

Sessions >1hr

1,573,926

1,939,260

23%

 

Table 5: Numbers of requested reverse withdrawals

Data from the biggest operators, covering approximately 80% of the online gambling market showing the number of requested reverse withdrawals and the number of customers requesting this facility in March 2019 and March 2020.

Note: a player may request this facility with more than one operator

 

March 2019

March 2020

Change

Number of requested reverse withdrawals

984,581

919,622

-7%

Number of customers requesting reverse withdrawal

215,790

195,243

-10%

 

[1] Changes in data could be due to a variety of factors impacting the market since Mar 2019.