UK online gambling activity continues to pull back from its pandemic high, although partly because bettors are redirecting their action to newly reopened betting shops.

Figures released Friday by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) show all online gambling verticals reporting gross gambling yield (GGY) declines from June to July, with poker, virtual sports and eSports falling hardest as real-world sports were recalled to life.  

Online slots GGY totaled £162.9m in July, down 2% from June, while other online casino products slipped 5% to £66m. Real-event betting dipped 4% to £209.3m, while virtual betting dropped 15% to £8m, eSports wagering was off by one-quarter £2.6m and online poker slid 23% to £9m.

In terms of the number of online bets placed, only real-event sports posted positive growth, rising 5% to 267.2m. The number of active real-event sports bettors grew by 3.7% while slots were basically flat and all other verticals reported negative growth.