'You don't come into the sport to have your pants ripped off'

A betting revolution

Forced to remain home while business and workplaces closed, more and more people’s lives went online.

It should come as no particular surprise, then, that online and virtual betting has become a larger part of the bookmaking landscape in 2020, especially with betting shops, on-course bookmakers and casinos unable to operate for large periods of time because of Covid-19.

Data compiled by the Gambling Commission from major betting operators showed a huge rise in Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) for online betting this year compared to last. In March 2019, the figure was £85,516,233 on live sports events, with that figure nearly doubling to £160,950,242 in the same month this year and soaring to £217,468,648 in June before dipping a little towards the end of the summer with other avenues to bet open. Nevertheless, the figures are startling in the increases from one year to the next.