TLDR
- UK online gambling Gross Gambling Yield rose 7% to £1.55bn in Q1 2026, per the UK Gambling Commission
- Slots led the way with £773m in GGY, up 12% year-on-year, with spins reaching 25.1 billion
- Monthly active accounts dipped slightly to 13.4 million, down 1% from last year
- Sessions over one hour dropped 12%, while total sessions jumped 18% to 202 million
- Q1 2026 marks the fourth quarter under new online slots stake limits of £5 for adults and £2 for 18-to-24-year-olds
The UK Gambling Commission has published its latest quarterly data, showing online gambling continued to expand in early 2026. Gross Gambling Yield for the first quarter reached £1.55 billion, a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2025.
Slots were the main driver of that growth. The category brought in £773 million in GGY, representing a 12% rise year-on-year.
Total spins climbed 7% to 25.1 billion, while active slot accounts grew 6% to 4.8 million. However, the way people played slots showed some changes.
Shorter Sessions but More of Them
Average spins per session dropped from 136 to 124. GGY per session also fell, slipping from £4.01 to £3.82.
Sessions lasting more than an hour declined 12% to 8.9 million. At the same time, total sessions surged 18% to 202 million.
Average session length fell by two minutes to 15 minutes. The data suggests players are logging in more often but spending less time per visit.
The Commission noted that some operators have changed how they measure session length. That shift could affect year-on-year comparisons for session-related metrics.
Customer interactions increased 32% to 5.2 million. The majority of those interactions were automated.
Despite the overall growth in online gambling, the number of average monthly active accounts actually edged down. The figure came in at 13.4 million, a 1% decline from the prior year.
Real event betting showed more modest results. GGY in that segment rose just 1% to £600 million.
The number of bets placed on real events fell 8%. Active accounts in that category also dropped 5%.
Offline betting continued its downward trend. GGY from offline sources fell 18% to £125 million.
Self-service betting terminals were a bright spot within the offline segment. Bets on those machines rose 6%, with a slight increase in yield.
Stake Limits Continue to Shape the Market
The first quarter of 2026 was the fourth full quarter under new stake limits for online slots. Those rules, introduced in spring 2025, cap stakes at £5 for adults and £2 for players aged 18 to 24.
The limits appear to be influencing how players engage with slots. Shorter sessions and lower GGY per session align with the intended effect of the policy.
The Commission cautioned that the data should be interpreted carefully. The dataset covers only the largest operators in the market.
It may also include free bets and bonuses in its figures, which could affect the accuracy of some metrics.
This report also marks the end of an era for the Commission’s data collection. The dataset, which has been gathered since March 2020, closes out the COVID-era reporting series that began during the pandemic.
The Commission did not provide forward guidance but said it would continue publishing quarterly operator data. The Q1 2026 figures were released on May 25, 2026.
