UK gambling operators generated £17.5bn in gross gambling yield in fiscal year 2025-26, according to Gambling Commission figures cited in the report. The report also says online revenue increased and the number of high street betting shops fell.
The figures give operators and investors a regulator-sourced view of UK market performance before the stated tax increases.
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The UK Gambling Commission reported Great Britain casino GGY for the financial year from April 2025 to March 2026. Online casinos generated £5.699 billion, up 14.8% year on year, while land-based casinos recorded £934 million, a 0.4% rise.
Gambling Commission policy director Ian Angus addressed illegal gambling and market conditions at the Clarion Payment Providers Summit on 20 May 2026. He said the UK sector generated GGY of £16.8bn between April 2024 and March 2025, while the regulator issued 741 cease-and-desist notices to advertisers and operators in the last financial year. Angus also said the Commission welcomed £26m of government funding over three years to tackle illegal gambling.
The UK Gambling Commission reported online gross gambling yield of £1.5bn for Q3 2025, down 2% year on year, while total online stakes rose 6% to £27.4bn. Online slots yield increased 10% to £788m, while real-event betting yield fell 18% to £530m. The commission cautioned that changes by some operators to session-duration measurement may affect year-on-year comparisons.
The UK’s increase in Machine Games Duty from 20% to 25% for higher-value category B machines does not protect all seaside arcade income, the British Amusement Catering Trade Association said. Category C machines remain taxed at 20% and category D machines at 5%; Bacta said income from category B machines in adult gaming centre sections helps support wider arcade operations, but it has not yet assessed how many machines will face the higher rate.
Machine Games Duty is rising from 20% to 25% solely for higher-value category B gaming machines, according to the British Amusement Catering Trade Association (Bacta). Many traditional seaside arcades depend on revenue from those machines to sustain their broader operations. The association said the chancellor’s attempt to shield pubs and seaside amusements did not fully reflect how coastal businesses operate.
The Gambling Commission has launched an Illegal Gambling Index to track engagement with unlicensed gambling websites in Great Britain. Its survey found that 4% of online gamblers showed indicators of engagement in the previous 12 months, while 1% of all respondents did. The index combines seven behavioural indicators and will be used alongside Gambling Survey for Great Britain data to monitor trends.
A new Illegal Gambling Index will monitor consumers' engagement with unlicensed sites, according to the Gambling Commission; its initial findings showed engagement among 4% of people who gambled online in the previous 12 months. Among all respondents, the figure was 1%.