UK Players Spending Over £600 Per Second on Online Sports Betting

It is no secret that the online sports betting industry in the UK is huge and highly lucrative, but recent statistics released by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) state how much is being spent on average by UK punters at online sports betting sites, and it’s a staggering £626 per second.

The overall turnover of sports betting from UK players between October 2016 and September 2017 totalled at just shy of £20 billion, putting into perspective how massive the industry actually is.

Growth

The total made in the run up to September 2017 shows a 25% growth in turnover from sports betting from the period just 18 months before, so not only is the industry gigantic, it’s also growing at a startling rate.

Risk awareness

Speaking about the statistics, CEO of GambleAware, Marc Etches, spoke of the importance of players being careful when playing in the less regulated online market, saying:

“These new figures from the Gambling Commission show how more people are choosing to gamble online, where there are no limits to stakes and prizes and the use of credit cards is permitted.”

“This makes it especially important that people are also aware of the risks associated with gambling and so it’s important people know where to find the free help and support available via BeGambleAware.org.”

The number of players actively opting to self-exclude from online casinos has risen to over a million, nearly double where it was 18 months prior, showing that the warning of Mr Etches are far from unfounded.

Concerns about vulnerable gamblers and the treatment of them in the online gambling world is of the utmost importance to regulators and the government currently, and these new statistics make it all too clear why this is true.