10
Part 1: The data trail British retail betting report
were the highest in the 2009-20 reporting period.
THE NOISE AROUND FOOTBALL
The harm done by the start of the lockdown and the halting of professional sporting activity is most clearly obvious in the figures for football betting.
March is one of the busiest times of the year for football betting – including as it does the build-up to the climaxes of domestic and European competitions’ seasons – and hence the drop in turnover of 30.5 % or £ 543m shows some clear pandemic impact.
Yet the effect of England getting to the semi-final of the previous year’ s World Cup in the summer of 2018 will also have contributed to an abnormally high football turnover in the year to March 2019.
In other words, there are a lot of moving parts. But the fact that even with the cancellation of major sports and the shutting of shops on March 23 football turnover was only slightly below the figure from 2018 GGY suggests that in the counterfactual world, football betting turnover and GGY would have been at least closer to the 2019 figure, even if unlikely to surpass it on either metric.
RACING REBOUND?
Horse racing presents a clearer picture of how the lockdown might have masked a stabilisation of horse racing turnover and revenue.
The declining importance of horse
16.6
Chart 11: Retail betting margins 2009-20
16.4
(%) 16.2
Margin(%) Margin(%)
15.6 Source: Gambling Commission
15.4
Chart 17.0 15.2 11: Retail betting margins 2009-20(%)
16.8 15.0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
2009-20 16.6(£ m)
Year to March
16.4 2000
Source 16.2: Gambling Commission 1800
Margin(%)
16.0 1600
15.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1400
15.6
1200
|
1161 |
1168 |
1324 |
1299 |
1385 |
1274 |
1237 |
|
15.4
1000
15.2
2000
|
942 |
955 |
1031 |
1015 |
800 |
|
|
|
|
|
15.0
1800
|
1780 |
600 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1600 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
400 |
Year to March |
|
|
|
|
|
1400
200
|
1324 |
1299 |
1385 |
1274 |
1237 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
1161 |
1168 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1800
1000
|
942
2009
|
955
2010
|
1031
2011
|
1015
2012
|
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
1780
2019
|
2020 |
|
1600
800
|
Year to March |
Chart 1200 12: Retail football betting turnover 2009-20(£ m)
600 1400
Source: Gambling Commission 1385
1324 1299
1200 400
1274 1237
1161 1168
1000 200
1031 1015
942 955
Chart 13: Retail football betting GGY 2009-
800 0
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
20(£ m)
600 Year to March
£ m
16.0 17.0 15.8 16.8 15.6
16.6 15.4
16.4 15.2 16.2 15.0
16.0
15.8
Chart 12: Retail football betting turnover 2009-20(£ m)
£ m
400 450
Source 200
: Gambling Commission
410 400
0 350
Chart 13: Retail football betting GGY 2009-
300 20(£ m)
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 342 331
317 Year to March
293 297
274 282
250
Chart 13: Retail football betting GGY 243 2009-20(£ m)
£ m
450 200
|
400
150
|
155 |
410 |
|
350
100
|
331 |
317 |
342 |
|
300
50
250
0
|
225
2009
|
2010 |
274
2011
|
234
2012
|
293
2013
|
243
2014
|
282
2015
|
2016 |
297
2017
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
200 |
Year to date |
150
155
Source: Gambling Commission 100
50
Chart 14: Retail betting horse racing
0
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Year to date
Chart 14: Retail betting horse racing turnover 2009-20(£ m)
Source 6000: Gambling Commission 5744
5443 5154
5000 5084
4894 4804 4805
Chart 14: Retail betting horse racing
4538
4000
turnover 2009-20(£ m)
6000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2000
5000
1000
4000
|
5744 |
5443 |
5154 |
5301 |
5084 |
4894 |
4804 |
4805 |
4538 |
4392 |
4187 |
3953 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 3000
Year to March
2000 Source: Gambling Commission
£ m
16.8
1000
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Year to March
Chart 12: Retail football betting turnover
£ m £ m
225
234
turnover 2009-20(£ m)
£ m
3000
5301
0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
2009-20(£ m)
Year to March
4392
1780
4187 3953
Chart 15: Retail betting horse racing GYY