UK Online Gaming and Betting Market Report 2020
£ 2,195 (Excl.Tax)
Report Summary
Key points included
- Enhancing the online gambling experience with in-person social activity
- Operators need to be more vocal about what they are doing to prevent problem gambling
Covered in this report
After several years of double-digit growth, consumer expenditure on online betting and gaming is projected to have grown more modestly in 2019. Nevertheless, a progressive decline in spending via retail gambling channels has seen online expenditure overtake bricks and mortar for the first time.
While the UK online gaming and betting market is one of the world’s most mature, the ongoing shift in consumer behaviour towards online channels and smartphones, as well as technological advancements, will continue to present opportunities for operators.
Expert analysis from a specialist in the field
Written by George Zaborowski, a leading analyst in the Financial Services sector, his extensive knowledge delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to the numbers.
After a period of impressive growth, the UK online gambling market has started to face some headwinds, which will hinder near-term growth prospects. Smartphone penetration appears to have levelled off, while increased regulatory scrutiny on the gambling industry has resulted in a more difficult operating environment. Despite these challenges, well-capitalised larger operators are well-positioned to weather the storm and take advantage of opportunities to gain market share through consolidation 
George Zaborowski
Senior Financial Services Analyst
Table of Contents
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Covered in this Report
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- The market
- Pace of growth slows substantially
- Figure 1: Consumer expenditure* on gaming and betting online, 2014-24
- Online betting revenues declined 10% during 2018-19
- Figure 2: Consumer expenditure* on gaming and betting online, by segment, 2018/19
- Companies and brands
- Market share concentrated among a handful of operators
- Figure 3: Estimated UK online gaming and betting market shares, by operator revenues, 2019
- The consumer
- Size of the player base remains largely unchanged
- Figure 4: Past-year participation in online gaming and betting activities, September 2019
- The smartphone now the most common online gambling device
- Figure 5: Devices used to gamble online, September 2019
- Online gambling is convenient, but not necessarily more fun than in person
- Figure 6: Attitudes towards online gambling, September 2019
- Most online gamblers claim to set limits on amount they wager
- Figure 7: Online gambling behaviours, September 2019
- Fear of losing money and disinterest key barriers to online gambling
- Figure 8: Barriers to online gambling, September 2019
- What we think
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Issues and Insights
- Enhancing the online gambling experience with in-person social activity
- The facts
- The implications
- Operators need to be more vocal about what they are doing to prevent problem gambling
- The facts
- The implications
- Enhancing the online gambling experience with in-person social activity
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The Market – What You Need to Know
- Market growth slows considerably
- Online betting revenue tumbles in 2018-19
- Operators facing an increasingly difficult trading environment
- Focus on responsible gambling means further changes on the horizon
- Market growth slows considerably
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Market Size and Forecast
- Market expansion slows in 2019
- Figure 9: Consumer expenditure* on gaming and betting online, 2014-24
- Forecast
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- Figure 10: Consumer expenditure* on gaming and betting online, 2014-24
- Forecast methodology
- Market expansion slows in 2019
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Market Segmentation
- Online betting revenue falls by 10%
- Figure 11: Consumer expenditure* on gaming and betting online, by segment, 2018-19
- Online betting revenue falls by 10%
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Market Drivers
- Operators facing higher taxation and tighter regulation
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- Figure 12: Gambling duty rates, from April 2019
- Industry joins to form the Betting and Gaming Council
- Value spent on online gambling overtakes bricks and mortar
- Figure 13: Consumer expenditure* on gambling, by channel, April 2018 – March 2019
- Technological advancements influencing product development
- Figure 14: Participation in online activities during the past three months, using any device*, June 2019
- Operators facing higher taxation and tighter regulation
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Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
- Small group of operators dominate the market
- Responsible gambling playing a part in recent product development
- Adspend remains flat in 2018
- Small group of operators dominate the market
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Market Share
- Market dominated by a small group of operators
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- Figure 15: Estimated UK online gaming and betting market shares, by operator revenues, 2019
- Market dominated by a small group of operators
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Launch Activity and Innovation
- JPJ Group becomes Gamesys Group after acquisition
- Virgin Bet sportsbook launched
- SportStack: a peer-to-peer betting game based on footballers’ performance
- Machine learning and the fight against online gambling addiction
- JPJ Group becomes Gamesys Group after acquisition
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Advertising and Marketing Activity
- 2018 FIFA World Cup boosts sportsbook adspend
- Figure 16: Online gambling operators’ main monitored media advertising spend, by segment, 2016-18
- More restrictive advertising standards coming into place
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
- 2018 FIFA World Cup boosts sportsbook adspend
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The Consumer – What You Need to Know
- Player base continues to stagnate
- Smartphones edge out laptops as most common device used
- Online gambling offers convenience but not necessarily more fun
- Two thirds of online gamblers set limits on the amount they can wager
- Most male online gamblers under 35 have bet outside the home
- Fear of losing money and disinterest the key barriers
- Player base continues to stagnate
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Online Gaming and Betting Activities
- Half of adults have played at least one online game in the past year
- Figure 17: Past-year participation in online gaming activities, September 2018 and September 2019
- One third of adults have bet online
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- Figure 18: Past-year participation in online betting activities, September 2018 and September 2019
- Half of adults have played at least one online game in the past year
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Online Gaming and Betting Devices
- Smartphone penetration levels remain flat
- Figure 19: Devices used to gamble online, September 2019
- Nearly half of under-25s have gambled via a games console
- Figure 20: Devices used to gamble online, by age, September 2019
- Smartphone penetration levels remain flat
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Attitudes towards Online Gambling
- Gambling online is convenient but not necessarily more enjoyable
- Figure 21: Attitudes towards online gambling, September 2019
- Just one third think companies are doing enough to prevent addiction
- Gambling online is convenient but not necessarily more enjoyable
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Online Gambling Behaviours
- Two thirds set themselves limits on the amount they can gamble
- Figure 22: Online gambling behaviours, September 2019
- Half have taken advantage of a promotional offer
- Free-to-play games can promote and educate
- 68% of men under 35 have gambled online outside the home
- Figure 23: Online gambling behaviours, by gender and age, September 2019
- Two thirds set themselves limits on the amount they can gamble
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Barriers to Online Gambling
- Fear of losing money the most common reason for not wagering
- Figure 24: Barriers to online gambling, September 2019
- How to get them playing
- Fear of losing money the most common reason for not wagering
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Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
- Fan chart forecast
- Figure 25: Forecast of consumer expenditure on gaming and betting online, 2019 – 24
- Forecast methodology
- Fan chart forecast
About the report
This market report provides in-depth analysis and insight supported by a range of data. At the same time, introductory and top-level content is provided to give you an overview of the issues covered.
Market
Mintel provides a range of market information, frequently through the category level, including market size and forecasting, complete with market drivers that illustrate the forces that shape a category or market.
Consumer
Mintel’s proprietary consumer research provides our analysts with the attitudinal and behavioral data used to provide valuable insight to topical issues.
Brand/Company
Mintel provides overviews of the top brands and manufacturers, and uses consumer research to explore attitudes and reactions to brands, as well as insight into what will resonate with consumers.
Data
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*databooks not available with UK B2B Industry reports.
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