Online gambling in the UK has risen significantly during and post-pandemic, as tax-free winnings, affordability and convenience all contribute to a surge in gambling across the UK.
The UK has bagged second spot in the top online gambling nations list in 2024, with a projected revenue of about £11.01 billion (€12.80 billion), according to Statista data about gambling revenue, compiled by the Japanese online casino guide for 61 countries.
This is just behind the US, which is expected to see about £18.41 billion in revenue this year. Australia took the third spot, with a projected revenue of £8.11 billion.
27.9% of UK consumers revealed that they had gambled online, with the country expected to see a rise of 7.4% in gambling revenues this year. However, this is projected to be the fourth-lowest gambling revenue increase this year. From 2024 to 2028, the UK is likely to see gambling revenues inch up 3.84% per year.
On the other hand, the US is expected to see a rise of approximately 20.3%, with Australia estimated to see a surge of 10.5% in gambling revenue this year, and about 5.12% annually until 2028. 21.1% of Australian consumers have also highlighted that they have already experienced online gambling.
Across the surveyed gambling nations worldwide, the jump in revenue is expected to be about 12.9%.
Japan came in at fourth place, with an estimated online gambling revenue of £4.95 billion this year, a 12.7% rise from 2023. About 7.9% of Japanese consumers are likely to gamble online this year, with 11.3 million people projected to be participating in the industry by 2028.
Emiko Matsuda, editor-in-chief of Japanese online casino guide said, in an email note, “The surge in online gambling can be attributed to a variety of factors such as the pandemic, which meant many betters transitioned from wagering on sports to online gambling, and the data suggests that this shift is permanent.”
Why is online gambling in the UK so high?
Gambling culture is deeply ingrained in the UK, with a large market for sports and online betting especially. According to YouGov’s Global Gambling Profiles data, about 49% of UK online gamblers spend more than £5 on fantasy sports and sports bets per month.25% of online gamblers also went for slot machines, with 17% choosing casino games and 18% opting for bingo, with gamblers spending £5 and upwards for these games per month.The lottery is also extremely popular in the UK, with Lottoland UK estimating that more than 70% of adults in the UK enter the national lottery regularly, coming up to nearly 45 million people.
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