New data published by the UK Gambling Commission reveals that Brits are betting less this year. The data shows a 19% decrease in gross gambling yield between December and February.
Although the operators still earned more than £495 million, the first two months of 2021 witnessed a 4% drop in active accounts. Meanwhile, slots GGY dropped by 1% to nearly £177, and the number of bets fell 7% to below 5 billion.
The latest data also shows that the number of online slot sessions lasting longer than an hour peaked at 2.6 million in January of this year. But the number has since dropped by 1% to 2.5 million, while the average session length remains unchanged at 21.5 minutes.
The UKGC reiterated the need for “extra operator vigilance” to ensure that players are protected amid the ongoing pandemic and the national lockdown conditions. The Commission said it was continuing to track risks linked to the pandemic while reminding operators to adhere to the guidelines it issued in May of last year.
Online operators are still expected to monitor players’ behavior and take special interest in those spending more time and money on games. The guidelines also instruct them to remove any bonus offers to players who display indicators of harmful behavior.
