Nevertheless, the number of active players decreased to 2.55 million in April and to 2.44 million in May, with a marginal increase the following month, according to Gambling Commission figures.
However, as the pandemic rumbled on, player numbers rebounded and had jumped to 2.8 million by November, in a month when nearly £177 million was spent on slots.
Despite the initial decrease in player numbers, total bets soared over the same period as people spent more time on platforms.
The number of bets on online slot machines rose by 15.5% to 5.16 billion in April from the previous month as the first national lockdown continued.
Bets increased by 2.5% to 5.3 billion in May month-on-month.
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GC launches consultation to overhaul problem gambling research
8th January 2021
| By Robert Fletcher
The GB Gambling Commission has launched a new consultation into the research methodology it uses to collect data on both gambling participation and problem gambling among players in Great Britain.
Scheduled to run until 12 February, the consultation aims to help the regulator identify potential changes its current approach to ensure its research is accurate and relevant.
The Commission said it is seeking responses from licensees, consumers and consumer interest groups, charities, academics, and organisations with an interest in gambling research and regulation.
The core proposal set out in the consultation document is replace the health, telephone and online surveys with a single methodology that the Commission said would be more efficient, cost effective and timely.
David Clifton, Licensing Expert: 10 forecasts and a hope for 2021 Share
March 26, 2021
12 months ago, 2019 ended with a promise within the Queen’s Speech from the then newly elected Conservative Party government to “carry out a Review of the Gambling Act”. Now, 2020 is ending with that promise being fulfilled.
On 8 December 2020, the Gambling Act Review was launched, with a Call for Evidence that runs until midnight on 31 March 2021, following which the government says it will “assess the evidence presented, alongside other data, with the aim of setting out conclusions and any proposals for reform in a white paper next year”.
In summarising the purpose of the Review as being to “ensure gambling laws are fit for a digital age”, its accompanying government press release adopted a phrase used by the former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Tom Watson, back in February 2019.
Time for action on National Lottery age limit
17th December 2020
| By Joanne Christie
The government’s decision to raise the minimum age for playing the National Lottery will hopefully draw a line under an issue that brought lots of bad press to the sector for very little financial gain. Joanne Christie reports.
So far, the only concrete change to come out of the much-hyped forthcoming overhaul of British gambling laws is the raising of the age at which players can play the National Lottery from 16 to 18.
But rather than being a blow to incumbent Camelot and its competitors in the race for the fourth National Lottery tender, and unlike some of the decisions expected to result from the review, the news probably came as a relief.