The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) recently unveiled a report that shows online gaming is on the rise, with the easing of measures to fight COVID-19. Gross gaming revenue for online betting increased by 115% for the period of May to June 2020. This is also in the account of online gambling providers like pussy888 who have seen a significant increase in registrations in the same period.
Slot machines recorded the highest individual losses among players, averaging £ 68 per player. Interactions between casinos and players increased by 12%. In such a context, the British Gambling Commission has introduced new directives which will have to be strictly applied by operators. The main ambition of the commission is to guarantee the protection of vulnerable players and to further promote responsible gambling.
The growth recorded in several gambling sectors
The products of online casinos have generated significant financial resources for the various operators during this post-containment period. The figures revealed in the United Kingdom Gambling Commission report are valid for the period from May to June 2020.
According to this report, slots games lasting over an hour fell from 2,085,023 to 1,987,121 for the month of June. This is a reduction of almost 5%. The same report also points to a one-minute drop in the average length of online slot game sessions.
The number of slot machine players increased by 1% during the month of May, while the losses of active players decreased by 10%. Slot stakes also fell by 5%.
The commission’s report also reveals that individual losses on slots are greater than those from other online games. For the month of June, a user lost an average of £ 37 on casino games, £ 54 on sports betting, and £ 68 on online slots.
We also note that during the period from May to June of the current year, interactions between casinos and users have increased by 12%. We went from 760.48 to 849,428.
Gross gaming revenue (GGY) for online sports betting is £ 217.5 million during the period May to June 2020. The growth rate is estimated to be 115%. According to experts from the commission, the amount of gross gaming revenue for the month of last June has a value significantly higher than that recorded before the confinement.
The regulator wants to prevent excessive gambling and promote responsible gambling
British players are therefore placing greater demands on online games, with the gradual lifting of measures to combat the coronavirus. This observation is made by the British Gaming Commission (UKGC). This situation worries the British authorities, who have decided to involve operators more in the protection of players and the strict monitoring of vulnerable users.
Several recommendations were made by the commission to guarantee responsible gambling. Operators must now:
- Remove bonuses and all promotions from users who show signs of problem gambling;
- Use permanent user monitoring tools in order to monitor their gambling behavior and identify those who have changed the number of their bets during their last gaming sessions;
- Apply new limits to users, and set up additional alert systems;
- Monitor users who have gaming sessions longer than an hour. The latter could show gambling problems;
- Remove reverse withdrawal options for players with gambling problems;
- Block games of vulnerable users, until verifications are made.
The Gambling Commission thus wishes to effectively prevent excessive gambling among users, especially among vulnerable players. It intends to do everything possible to reduce the risks of compulsive gambling and promote responsible gambling.