UK Gambling Commission reports £17.5bn GGY for year ending March 2026

The UK Gambling Commission has reported that Gross Gambling Yield across Great Britain’s regulated sector reached £17.5 billion for the year ending March 2026, representing a 4.4 per cent increase on the previous year.

Acting Chief Executive Sarah Gardner disclosed the figures during a keynote speech at the International Association of Gaming Regulators Conference on 20 October 2026 in Lima, Peru. Excluding lotteries, GGY stood at £13.2 billion for the same period, up by 4.7 per cent on the year before, Gardner said.

Participation rates

The regulator’s survey data showed that 47 per cent of those surveyed in Great Britain, aged 18 and over, participated in gambling in the past four weeks. When excluding people who only play lottery draws, participation was 27 per cent, according to Gardner.

Leadership changes and funding

Gardner welcomed Ruth Evans, who was appointed by the UK Government as the new Chair of the Commission for a five-year term a couple of weeks before the October conference. Sarah Fox joined the Commission in September 2026 to take over much of the portfolio previously held by Tim Miller, alongside regulation of the National Lottery. Fox had previously led the Gambling team in the UK Government, Gardner said. Miller, who spent ten years with the Commission, announced earlier in 2026 that he would pursue a change.

Tax and enforcement

The UK Government made changes to the way gambling is taxed across Great Britain in their November 2025 Budget, many of which began in April 2026, Gardner noted. In the same Budget, the Government committed £26 million over three years to enhance the Commission’s work tackling illegal gambling.

The Commission published new research on illegal gambling on 21 October 2026, Gardner said.