UK Online Gambling Market Shows Resilience After Remote Gaming Duty Increase

Operators licensed in the United Kingdom have maintained positive momentum in the online gaming sector even after the Remote Gaming Duty rate rose from 21 percent to 40 percent in April 2026, and recent figures compiled by Regulus Partners highlight how this segment continued to expand during the second quarter.

The analysis examined results from six major operators that together account for roughly 66 percent of UK market revenue, revealing that online betting activity stayed broadly flat while online gaming advanced by approximately 12 percent over the same period despite the higher tax burden.

Details Behind the Duty Adjustment

The duty increase took effect at the start of April 2026, applying to remote gaming activities offered by UK-licensed companies, and industry observers have tracked quarterly performance closely since that point to assess any immediate shifts in player behavior or operator strategy.

Data gathered for the three months ending in June shows the online gaming category, which includes slots and casino products, delivered the strongest contribution to overall revenue growth among the sampled operators while betting volumes held steady without notable contraction.

Operator Performance Highlights

Entain, Evoke, and Super Group each reported UK revenue increases for both the second quarter and the first half of the year, demonstrating that the larger players in the market have so far absorbed the tax change without experiencing the slowdown some analysts had anticipated at the time the rate adjustment was announced.

These companies represent a substantial share of the total remote gambling activity conducted under UK licenses, and their combined results form the core of the Regulus Partners review that covers the majority of sector revenue.

Scope of the Regulus Partners Review

Regulus Partners focused its examination on publicly available trading updates from the six selected operators, allowing direct comparison of pre- and post-April performance across betting and gaming verticals, and the resulting figures indicate that any initial impact from the doubled duty has remained limited through the end of June.

The review notes that online gaming growth of around 12 percent occurred alongside flat betting results, producing an overall picture of continued expansion even as the higher tax rate applied to all remote gaming transactions processed during the quarter.

Forward-Looking Observations from the Analysis

While current data shows the market has maintained its trajectory so far, the same analysis points to the possibility of more pronounced effects emerging in subsequent reporting periods as operators complete their full financial cycles under the new duty rate and evaluate longer-term pricing or promotional adjustments.

Those monitoring the sector continue to watch forthcoming quarterly updates to determine whether the growth recorded in the second quarter represents a temporary adjustment phase or a sustained pattern that persists into the second half of 2026.

Conclusion

The Regulus Partners assessment of the six largest operators provides a clear snapshot of how the UK-licensed online gambling market responded in the immediate aftermath of the April 2026 duty change, with online gaming delivering double-digit growth while betting remained stable and leading companies posted revenue gains for the quarter and half-year. Further reports expected later in the year will supply additional context on whether these trends hold steady under the adjusted tax framework.