The gambling industry in general has gradually shifted more and more towards the online market during recent years. Gambling in the UK is divided quite evenly in terms of online and live betting and, according to the gambling commission, 50% of the gambling market is generated by in-person betting. Recently there has been a bigger shift towards gambling online due to the current situation, however different forms of gambling are seeing different changes.
People playing online slots has seen a big increase within the past year of around 25%. The amount of online slots players is now remaining at roughly the same level, and recent popular slots games such as Age of the Gods, Mega Moolah, and Lucky Emeralds have kept new slots players coming back.
Casino games such as Roulette, Blackjack, and Baccarat are typically known as player favourites, and these games are also the main source of live casino betting. As mentioned in a previous article, Blackjack is known to be a particular player favourite due to the lower house edge. Casino games are still popular online, however, and offer a different kind of feel to the live experience. The amount of people gambling through online casino and gaming has roughly stayed the same, showing people are remaining interested due to the large range of online casino games available to players.
As reported back in April, interest in online Poker is currently at an all-time high. The number of people playing Online Poker rose yearly by 53% back in March. Numbers have since started to fall slightly. However there is still a huge demand for the game, and the industry has managed to maintain an increasing number of people playing online. Online Poker sites offer a variety of games, with the most popular version being Texas Hold’em – however, other variations are available such as Omaha, Stud, and Draw games.
Sports betting and betting, in general, are where the biggest changes have been seen. Virtual betting was initially up 88% from the previous year, recorded back in March. Since live sporting events have started to return to action, real event betting has now begun to grow again, with the number of virtual betters falling. Virtual betting still remains high compared to previous records, but the return of live sports events has diminished its growth.
In terms of real event betting, there continues to be a projected big shift towards betting online and, with the return of popular live sports such as Football, Golf, and Boxing, the number of online betters looks likely to grow.
Overall, it seems like the shift towards gambling online is going to continue to grow. The UK gambling market shows that people enjoy the variety in the methods of gaming and betting, but that the shift towards more online gambling is likely to continue to happen.