UK sports bets soar 146% in June as sport exits lockdown
New Gambling Commission data reveals post Covid-19 bounce as sports betting GGY rockets 115%
Sports betting in the UK enjoyed a triumphant return in June with a 146% month-over-month rise in bets placed, according to the latest data from the UK Gambling Commission.
Total bets placed on real-event sports amounted to 104 million in May, but leapt to 255.4 million in June following the resumption of several UK sports including horseracing and football after the easing of coronavirus-induced lockdown restrictions.
This rise in bets placed was mirrored in sports betting gross gambling yield (GGY), which rose by 115% month-on-month between May and June to £217m. In addition, the number of total active bettors gambling on sports jumped 81% in June over May.
However, the recent esports and virtual betting bubble appears to have burst with the resumption of live sports in the UK. Total GGY for esports and virtual betting fell by 25% and 15% respectively to £3.4m, while total bets placed on virtuals during June slumped by 21% to 19.3 million.
Speculation that there would be a permanent increase in online slots and online table games also appears to have been unfounded, with both suffering double-digit month-over-month declines in GGY during June.
Total slots bets placed fell by 5% to just over five million, with GGY decreasing by 10% during the same period to £166.4m. Total online casino bets fell by 10% to 282.8 million, while GGY slid 12% to £68.5m in June.
The total number of active players also fell for both verticals, decreasing by 1% for online slots players and by 7% in active player numbers for other online casino games.
Online poker endured a torrid June, with UK player bets placed on poker games falling by just under one third (31%), alongside a 36% decline in GGY to £11.7m.
In addition, average session gaming session time lasting an hour or more dipped by 5% during June, with just 1.9 million sessions taking place during the month.