Online Gambling in the UK: What Statistics Say

Gambling has always been a favorite pastime for many, even in prehistoric times. And while some popular games are as old as the human race, others rely more on the modern technology of the 21st century. With online casinos on the rise,sources like internet casino rating provided by IrishCasinoHEX attract thousands and thousands of visitors each month, all in search of the perfect casino in a digital format.

Now, more than ever, players are looking not only for the excitement of a spinning slot, or a good game of poker, but the comfort of their own home, accessibility at any time of day, and lucrative bonuses as well. No wonder that online casinos changed the world of gambling for good, and some statistics prove that.

Brits Spend £5.6bn in Online Casinos

When first online casinos appeared back in 1994, it was impossible to predict how and whether users will ever accept gambling in their own homes. 25 years later the statistic is more than clear - online casinos in the UK are on the rise. According to the Gambling Commission, Brits have spent £14.5 billion on gambling in 2018, with online gambling being represented with 38.8% of the revenue. From October 2017 to September 2018, Brits spent more than £5.6 billion in online casinos, which is more than they spend on bingo, national lottery, brick-and-mortar casino games, and other lotteries combined.

The main reason for this number may also be behind the popularity of mobile casino apps. Unlike brick-and-mortar casinos that players have to visit physically or desktop online casinos that can be reached only from the personal computer, mobile casino apps make popular games available at all times, whether it rain or shine.

Online Sports Books on the Rise

Another interesting aspect of the online casino industry is that all types of gambling and games are often interconnected on the same platform, thus enabling players to switch to another game with a simple click of a mouse (or a tap on the screen). This is probably one of the reasons why online sportsbooks are becoming increasingly popular - there is no reason to walk down the street to pay a visit to your bookie, as he is right there, next to your favorite slots and poker games.

Even though non-remote betting is still more common (and is the second-largest gambling sector worth £3.2 billion), online sportsbooks had revenue of £2. The Industry statistics report by Gambling Commission states how Brits prefer to bet on horses and football when online, which are two categories that have also been most prevalent in the history of this type of gambling.

Bingo - Community is the Key

And while these numbers seem encouraging for the online casino industry, there is one aspect of it that remains resilient to the online revolution. Bingo was, and still is, a local community affair. Even though most popular online casinos offer bingo, and there are even specialized bingo casinos, out of 12 million active bingo players, only 3 million players prefer to do it online.

Online Bingo can also be considered a "women's game". McMullan and Kervin’s research on poker advertisements noted how poker ads usually feature highly sexualized content that is more interesting to young males, while the paper called The Online Bingo Boom in the UK: A Qualitative Examination of Its Appeal by a group of authors concludes how Bingo sites are completely the opposite: more local, open and community-oriented which makes it more appealing to females. Mirror.co.uk supports this theory and claims that 75% of all online bingo players are women, who are more likely to appreciate vibrant colors, play for fun and making friends, rather than being a serious gambler.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes