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Slots drive British iGaming: the latest market report for 2025/2026

Gambling Commission data show £8.3 billion in online GGY and £4.8 billion from slots. We examine market structure, fewer new accounts and why GGY is neither…

Jesky
3 min czytania
Slots drive British iGaming: the latest market report for 2025/2026
AT A GLANCE

Key information

  • Gambling Commission data show £8.3 billion in online GGY and £4.8 billion from slots. We examine market structure, fewer new accounts and why GGY is neither operator profit nor a measure of winning chances.
  • Gambling Commission data show £8.3 billion in online GGY and £4.8 billion from slots.
  • We examine market structure, fewer new accounts and why GGY is neither operator profit nor a measure of winning chances.

REPORT • ANALYSIS

Slots account for approximately 84% of British online casino gross gambling revenue. That is the main finding from the Gambling Commission's latest annual statistics. The figures show market growth, but also a decline in newly opened accounts. At Radio Sloty, we examine what these numbers tell us — and what they cannot establish.

The latest publication, a full year of data

The Gambling Commission published the report on 17 September 2026. It covers April 2025 to March 2026 and the regulated market in Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales. It excludes Northern Ireland. This is an annual picture of the industry, not a measurement of player activity over the past few days.

The whole market recorded £17.5 billion in gross gambling yield, or GGY, up 4.4% on the previous year. Excluding lotteries, the total was £13.2 billion, an increase of 4.7%. Online services remain the largest segment.

Five figures that describe iGaming

  • £8.3 billion — combined GGY from online casinos, betting and bingo; up 6.9%.
  • £5.7 billion — online casino GGY.
  • £4.8 billion — online slots GGY.
  • £2.4 billion — online betting GGY.
  • 32.4 million — new account registrations, down 3.0% on the previous year.

Radio Sloty's own calculation using the report's rounded figures puts slots at approximately 84% of online casino GGY and around 58% of the combined online casino, betting and bingo segment. This is a share of gross gambling revenue. It is not a share of player numbers, an RTP figure or information about the chances of winning.

GGY is gross gambling revenue, not operator profit

Under the regulator's definition, GGY includes stakes and other direct gambling receipts, less winnings paid out. It does not mean total deposits or all stakes placed. Nor is it net profit: operating expenses, taxes and marketing costs have not been deducted.

This distinction changes how the report should be read. Rising GGY confirms growth in this particular market measure, but does not by itself establish that every company became more profitable. It also says nothing about an individual user's result.

The market is growing despite fewer new accounts

Higher revenue alongside fewer new registrations is an interesting combination. Accounts must not, however, be treated as unique individuals: one player can hold accounts with several operators. This difference prevents a straightforward calculation of the result per person.

Our interpretation: existing users' activity and the mix of products offered may become increasingly important to the industry. The report alone does not determine whether growth comes from more frequent play, catalogue changes, customer retention or other factors. Additional data would be needed to establish the causes.

How can results be compared without oversimplifying?

The Gambling Commission uses regulatory returns and subjects them to quality checks. Missing returns may be estimated using an earlier period. Data for the latest three years may be revised, while historical figures are not adjusted for inflation. Totals calculated from unrounded data may not precisely match a simple sum of the numbers displayed in the publication.

For that reason, this annual dataset should not be combined directly with quarterly data from a sample of operators. Differences in scope can change the comparison, even when both publications come from the same regulator.

What should we watch next?

Radio Sloty is focusing on three issues: whether slots retain their dominance, the relationship between registrations and activity, and the next full-year figures. These will help assess whether the current market structure is becoming established. A segment's size is not a recommendation to gamble. If you play, set your own limits and use the tools described in our responsible gambling section.

Find more data-based coverage in Interviews and Analysis.

Sources and verification

We calculated the approximately 84% share from the rounded figures £4.8 billion / £5.7 billion. The data concern England, Scotland and Wales, not Northern Ireland. Sources checked on 4 October 2026. Conditions and publications may be updated.