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