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How COVID-19 has impacted online gaming in the UK

Since the beginning of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, millions of people across the globe have been locked down at home waiting for the spread of the disease to subside. In the meantime, Covid-19 has ravaged the global economy, leaving millions out of work and killing hundreds of thousands.

This is true in the UK just as much as it is anywhere else. In Britain, some industries however, have benefitted from these strange times. One such business is the online gambling industry, which has been changed significantly by the disease. Many experts point to the pandemic as the root cause behind a recent rise in interest around online gambling generally. Common sense suggests that, with so many idle minds, online entertainment of any form is bound to see a boom.

One issue that many fresh faces in the online gambling world will no doubt face, however, is the complexity of the business. Finding the perfect place to play is a tough task for anyone, but you can find great reviews of slot sites at www.bestratedslotsites.co.uk.

In this article, we will take a close look at how Covid-19 has impacted online gambling in the UK, delving into what the statistics suggest to the supposed effects of this shift in dynamics.

So, without further ado, let’s take a peek at how Covid-19 has impacted online gambling in the UK.

More Brits Heading to Online Casinos Than Ever Before

It’s safe to say that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought with it a boom in the UK online gambling industry. Sports betting, bingo and brick and mortar betting shops are all currently closed, so it only makes sense that punters will shift their attention to online casinos in search of some excitement.

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission say that online slots and poker users have increased by 25% and 38% each, with these figures coming from the first month or so of the virus outbreak. In fact, estimates suggest that these numbers will be even higher at this point, with so many of us bored sitting at home.

Conversely, other data suggests that overall gambling revenues are down throughout the nation, with this surge in online gambling activity not quite enough to keep the business on level footing. With that said, much of the new interest in online gambling appears to be from seasoned punters seeking new methods for fun during the lockdown.

Nowadays, many online casino sites offer a pay by phone bill method which removes any need for immediate payment, allowing players to do more of what they love. For newcomers to the industry, this can be very attractive and the truth is that it’s easy to find info on pay by phone bill casinos.

Impacts of the rise in online gambling across the UK

Across the UK, there have been calls from prominent people for stricter rules around the online gambling industry. This extends to advertising and bonus offers mostly, with some suggesting that these can be harmful to problem gamblers.

With the current boom in online gambling in the UK due to Covid-19, these calls have only grown louder.

Whilst stats point to the majority of online casino newcomers being experienced gamblers migrating from more traditional sources, those calling for more rules around online gambling fail to show the lengths that casinos go to in order to protect members.

In the UK, the industry is highly regulated and so all casino sites operate in accordance with the law. In fact, most casino sites promote schemes such as Gamble Aware, which is designed to eradicate problem gambling. With schemes such as Gamstop helping those with gambling issues to block themselves from online sites, there are many methods to reduce this social issue without penalising the industry.