Online Casino Games Remaining Popular

Data from the UK Gambling Commission has shown an increase in how long players spend at online casinos. The figures covered the period between March 2020 and December 2021, a time when there were still Covid-19 restrictions affecting the gambling industry. This saw more players gambling online.

The Gambling Commission have been publishing such data throughout the pandemic. They consider it an important set of data to collect amid concerns of people gambling too much during the lockdowns that have taken place. It covers both online gambling, those using apps and the land-based casinos and bookmakers.

Gross Gaming Yield (GGY) for online gambling was just below £421 million in December. That took the October to December total up to £1.2 billion. However, this was a 6% decrease when compared to the figures for July to September 2021.

However, it was a much better situation when it came to the total bets and spins. The total increased by 4%. The number of active accounts held by players remained steady.

Slot games are always popular to play at online casinos. That trend continued with the slots GGY going up 1% to £568 million between Q2 and Q3. There was a 3% increase in the number of spins, rising to an amazing 18.2 billion.

The number of players trying their luck on slot games also saw an increase. The figure went up by 5% to 9.8 million. Hopefully, it will go through the 10 million mark when the next set of figures are published.  If you are looking to register with an online site to play casino games, some research is handy before signing up. Finding out about these bonus deals for UK online sites can be very helpful.

There was also an increase in the number of online slots sections that lasted for over an hour. This went up 8.1% to over 8.1 million. On average, players spent 19 minutes trying to trigger bonus games and win progressive jackpots. The number of sessions that lasted over an hour was 7%.

The situation in the UK has now changed in 2022. The government has lifted Covid-19 restrictions and the days of land-based bookmakers and casinos being closed are over and hopefully that situation will continue well into the future.

Although restrictions have been lifted, there are still some gamblers who feel wary about going back to the land-based venues. They have either become too used to playing online where they feel totally safe or have the opinion that they are still at risk going to the bookmakers or their local casino. Covid-19 figures are on the rise again in the UK, so it will be interesting to see how this affects the gambling industry in the coming months.

The Gambling Commission however still expect operators to practice “extra vigilance” regarding their customers. They are still concerned that many people still feel vulnerable due to the problems that the pandemic has caused over the past couple of years. This includes worries about their personal or financial circumstances and readjusting budgets and time as life returns to normal.

During the first lockdown in the UK, the Gambling Commission were concerned about increased amounts of gambling. With so much more time being spent at home and land-based gambling venues closed, the fear was that more time would be spent gambling online, increasing the chance of developing gambling problems.

Much of the online activity was on casino games. Sportsbooks had a tough time as their usual set of events were put on hold. With no English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 games, a different set of betting options had to be used.

More emphasis was put on the online casino games allowing players to bet on roulette, blackjack, baccarat and poker, as well as all those slot games. But for the presence of casino games, the situation would have been a lot different. Several betting companies have reported figures that showed a reliance on the online casino market to report good results.

The Gambling Commission were quick to lay down guidance for online sites. This included not exploiting the pandemic and carrying out affordability checks. A close look should also be paid towards customers who may be spending more money and playing additional games that they hadn’t before.

This is continuing and it’s not just about the pandemic now. The UK government is looking at changing the 2005 Gambling Act amid concerns of problem gambling.  Liberal Democrats have also called for changes to “outdated” laws.

Plenty of research material has been gathered and there are soon to be details about just what is being planned for the UK gambling industry. Casino games however, as these latest results show, will remain an important part of the online industry.