Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Pace of growth slows substantially
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- Figure 1: Consumer expenditure* on gaming and betting online, 2014-24
- Online betting revenues declined 10% during 2018-19
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- Figure 2: Consumer expenditure* on gaming and betting online, by segment, 2018/19
- Companies and brands
- Market share concentrated among a handful of operators
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- Figure 3: Estimated UK online gaming and betting market shares, by operator revenues, 2019
- The consumer
- Size of the player base remains largely unchanged
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- Figure 4: Past-year participation in online gaming and betting activities, September 2019
- The smartphone now the most common online gambling device
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- Figure 5: Devices used to gamble online, September 2019
- Online gambling is convenient, but not necessarily more fun than in person
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- Figure 6: Attitudes towards online gambling, September 2019
- Most online gamblers claim to set limits on amount they wager
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- Figure 7: Online gambling behaviours, September 2019
- Fear of losing money and disinterest key barriers to online gambling
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- Figure 8: Barriers to online gambling, September 2019
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- 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
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- 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 Size and Forecast
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- Market expansion slows in 2019
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- 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 Segmentation
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- Online betting revenue falls by 10%
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- Figure 11: Consumer expenditure* on gaming and betting online, by segment, 2018-19
Market Drivers
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- 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
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- Figure 13: Consumer expenditure* on gambling, by channel, April 2018 - March 2019
- Technological advancements influencing product development
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- Figure 14: Participation in online activities during the past three months, using any device*, June 2019
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Small group of operators dominate the market
- Responsible gambling playing a part in recent product development
- Adspend remains flat in 2018
Market Share
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- 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
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- 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
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- 2018 FIFA World Cup boosts sportsbook adspend
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- 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
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- 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
Online Gaming and Betting Activities
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- Half of adults have played at least one online game in the past year
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- 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
Online Gaming and Betting Devices
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- Smartphone penetration levels remain flat
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- Figure 19: Devices used to gamble online, September 2019
- Nearly half of under-25s have gambled via a games console
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- Figure 20: Devices used to gamble online, by age, September 2019
Attitudes towards Online Gambling
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- Gambling online is convenient but not necessarily more enjoyable
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- Figure 21: Attitudes towards online gambling, September 2019
- Just one third think companies are doing enough to prevent addiction
Online Gambling Behaviours
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- Two thirds set themselves limits on the amount they can gamble
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- 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
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- Figure 23: Online gambling behaviours, by gender and age, September 2019
Barriers to Online Gambling
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- Fear of losing money the most common reason for not wagering
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- Figure 24: Barriers to online gambling, September 2019
- How to get them playing
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Fan chart forecast
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- Figure 25: Forecast of consumer expenditure on gaming and betting online, 2019 - 24
- Forecast methodology
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