The segment of British gambling that’s taking place in the digital space and over digital devices continues to grow. According to the UK Gambling Commission, per their most recent findings, the total gross gambling yield (GGY) for remote casino, betting, and bingo continues to grow.
Compared to the previous report, there was a 6.9 per cent increase, landing the sector on £6.9 billion. That’s 60 per cent of the industry’s total GGY over the same reporting window. People are increasingly accustomed to turning to screens for their gambling.
So, perhaps it won’t come as a surprise that gambling hubs are looking to expand their digital options to become more appealing to punters and even newcomers. Perhaps it’s this angle that’s seen the classic view of bookies calling odds and taking bets at the track now include automatic betting terminals.
Ascot brings in digital betting terminals
Without a shadow of the doubt, Ascot is the most iconic racecourse in the country, hosting a colossus of an annual festival that never fails to draw in punters and viewers. Royal Ascot transcends the sport, holding a traditional place on the calendar that welcomes people far beyond those in the know about horse form and such.
So, perhaps it’s fitting that the meet would be among the first of the major ones to roll out new self-service electronic terminals. Rolled out in June 2025 during Royal Ascot, the terminals were described as being akin to the ordering systems you now see at many fast-food restaurants.
Clearly angled at increasing the accessibility of betting at the event, the betting ranges were relatively tight. The maximum wager permitted was £100, while the range of bets on offer was much smaller than those that could be placed at a traditional bookie or at the pools.
For many, particularly with betting and viewing available online, handing bets over to an in-person bookie after finding your preferred odds and then, maybe, taking back some cash later is a highlight of the experience. Still, the terminals do take away the experience that can come with queuing and then placing bets with a person.
Following digital evolution
As noted at the top of the page, the remote or digital segment of gambling in the UK now makes up well over half of the gross gambling yield and continues to grow. Of the £6.9 billion total, £2.4 billion came by way of remote sports betting, with football in the lead at £1.1 billion and then horse racing at £771.1 million.
It shows how much the audience has gravitated to digital platforms for betting, but as those figures show, there’s more interest in remote casino play. This may be down to the advancements made to the experience compared to the physical format. Across the huge collection of video slots available online, you can see there’s now a vast range of options available.
Where once there were fruit machines primarily leaning into the classic theme, triple sevens, and whatnot, online video slots now span all kinds of themes and have developed a massive range of different features and mechanics. The likes of multi-million progressive jackpots and Megaways couldn’t get to their current scale in machines.
It’s this angle that has more people looking to digital devices for betting. The sheer range of options based on any and all statistical outcomes is vast online. With an in-person bookmaker at sports like football, you can see where there’d be limitations in this regard. So, that just adds to the digital betting appeal.
Ascot’s move to bring in a digital betting terminal may defy the traditional experience, but it certainly follows the trend of the industry, and will prove useful to more nascent bettors.
If it’s happening at Ascot, you can be sure others will follow their lead. How long before this arrives in rural Warwickshire? Sooner than you might imagine, I suspect.
