Gambling Commission reports record GGY as acting chief sets out illegal market push
Acting Chief Executive Sarah Gardner told the IAGR Conference in Lima on 20 October 2026 that Great Britain's regulated gambling sector grew in the year to March 2026, as the Commission prepares to scale up action against illegal gambling.
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The Gambling Commission said on 21 October 2026 that Gross Gambling Yield across the whole regulated sector in Great Britain reached £17.5 billion in the year ending March 2026, a 4.4 per cent increase on the previous year. Excluding lotteries, GGY stood at £13.2 billion, up 4.7 per cent. Remote betting, casino and bingo, most of which is online, generated £8.3 billion, a 6.9 per cent rise.
The Commission said its Gambling Survey for Great Britain found 47 per cent of respondents aged 18 and over had gambled in the past four weeks, falling to 27 per cent when excluding those who only played lottery draws. It said participation rates had remained stable compared with the previous year and over a longer period, against a population of more than 67 million.
The Commission said the sector faces a period of change, including tax changes made by the UK Government that largely took effect from April 2026, after the period covered by the latest figures. It said it has no role in setting, collecting or advising on gambling tax, but has a statutory duty to advise ministers on gambling regulation.
The Commission said the UK Government committed £26 million over three years, announced in its Budget last November, to strengthen its work tackling illegal gambling, with the first £7 million made available from April. It said resources for tackling illegal gambling have previously been smaller than its ambition, requiring it to prioritise the most serious cases, citing the Futgalaxy case as an example in which it secured convictions for providing unlicensed gambling to children. The Commission said it was marking the end of a two year period focused on developing its approach to the illegal market.