UK online sports betting roars back as major events resume

UK online gamblers welcomed the return of major sports in June, resulting in sports betting revenue more than doubling from the previous month.

Figures released Monday by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) show gross gambling yield (GGY) from real event sports betting hit nearly £217.5m in June, up 115% from the £101.3m reported in May. The figures represent data collected from the UK’s “biggest” operators, who represent around 80% of the UK’s total online gambling market.

The rise in so-called ‘real’ sports wagers took a bite out of all other gaming verticals, with online slots GGY falling 9.6% from May to £166.5m in June, while other casino products slipped 12% to £68.5m. Virtual sports betting was off 15.2% to £9.6m and eSports slid nearly one-quarter to less than £3.5m.

Online poker suffered the biggest month-to-month revenue decline, tumbling 36.3% to just under £11.7m, as active online poker players fell by more than one-quarter from May to June.