As one of online gambling’s early adopters, it’s a surprise to nobody that the UK is also one of the biggest markets in this respect. The industry is worth billions, while over 2,000 operators are licensed here as well.
At the time of writing, the country’s gambling industry is undergoing a transition phase. However, there are still plenty of opportunities for affiliates. We’ll discuss these, identify potential problems and explain why this market is still worth it.
Current gambling regulations in the UK
The UK has a fully-regulated iGaming market. Sports betting, lottery and games of chance are all permitted.
What potential problems might affiliates run into?
As of late, gambling regulation in the UK has begun to tighten. In addition to the incoming credit card ban in April, VIP schemes could soon be banned too. Moreover, there’s a chance that online casino stakes will be limited.
We should also keep in mind that the current Gambling Act, introduced in 2005, will soon be reviewed. But for now, nobody knows what the outcome of that will be.
Affiliates aren’t subject to any strict regulations right now, but that could change in the future. The likeliness of this increases if such websites don’t behave in a responsible manner. For example, AgeChecked revealed that in a recent survey, eight out of 10 affiliates still hadn’t implemented mandatory age checks.
In some verticals, the future is also difficult to predict. One such example is white label casinos. A number of brands have shifted over to B2B, while others have had their B2C licences suspended.
What are the opportunities for affiliates?
As we mentioned in the intro, gambling in the UK is huge. According to the UK Gambling Commission‘s latest statistics (new ones will be revealed in May 2020), gross gambling yield (GGY) for the entire industry reached £14.4 billion in 2018. Of this, £5.3 billion was remote (which is defined as gambling via the internet, telephone or television).
Because regulated gambling in the UK is so established, its players are well-educated in this field. Compared to emerging markets, they know what they want when it comes to picking an operator. And most of the time, that’s the best odds. Thanks to this, affiliates can focus on comparing sites and don’t have to educate so much about the basics.
Final thoughts
Despite changing regulations and uncertainty about how this could change further, the UK continues to be one of iGaming’s most important markets.
Players in the UK tend to be more clued-up when it comes to online gambling, though there is a growing emphasis on player safety. So, providing information and help in this respect would also be beneficial.
Regardless of what happens in the future, online gambling will continue to be big in this part of the world. And with that, opportunities in all verticals won’t go away for affiliates.
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