Online poker is growing rapidly in terms of popularity which reflects the broad shift towards virtual gambling. Participation of the players in the UK has steadily risen from 5% to 10% according to the data analytics agency, YouGov.
Taking a deeper look at YouGov’s latest insight into online poker, let’s see who these players are who interested in online poker, how much they are willing to wager, and the names of online casinos that these gamblers are choosing in the competitive iGaming market.
Key Player Demographics and Spending Patterns
YouGov conducted a study to analyze the online poker trends in online casinos in United Kingdom.
According to the latest study, participation in online poker games has increased from 5% to 10% between 2021 and 2024. It further revealed that around 44% of the gamers belong to the age group 35 years and 54 years.
The game appeals to the younger generation aged between 18 to 34 years who account for around 43% of the player base. The data agency also emphasized that the interest among younger players is higher than other verticals.
18% of lottery players, 23% of the sports bettors, and 33% of iGaming fans belong to the age group 18 to 34 years.
The trends for online poker are consistent with the general growth, predominantly enjoyed by male gamers. Three out of every four players are male and generally, gamble and spend more on poker.
Coming to expenditure, the study noted that around 57% of players interested in online poker spend around £1 to £100 every month while 28% wager between £101 and £500, and the remaining 15% spend over £500 every month on online poker.
The data, therefore, shows that poker enthusiasts are more interested in wagering over £500 every month which, in comparison to other gaming verticals, only 11% of online slots gamers and 4% of sports bettors spend similar amounts.
Factors Driving Operator Preferences
While analyzing some of the fan-favorite casino operators in UK, YouGov found PokerStars taking up the first place with a market share of 16%. Sky Poker and 888 Poker followed up next with 15% each and the final player, Bet365 holds 14% of the online poker players.
Other key casino operators are Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, and William Hill.
YouGov found out why these key operators won the hearts of poker players. They never go easy with their loyalty programs and exclusive promotions. About 65% of the registered users, actively seek free bets and promotions while a staggering 49% are drawn to experimenting new platforms.
As a consequence, loyalty programs become a key consideration in the study where the data agency remarked that about 52% of the users prefer websites that make additional attempts to make their loyalty towards the platform worthwhile. On the other hand, sponsorships are also described as notable branding efforts that help in increasing brand visibility in the highly competitive iGaming market.
In addition to that, gambling does not always take place on formal platforms. There are other informal gambling activities like betting on sports with friends and family or participating in offline lotteries and sweepstakes that remain popular across in the UK.
About 39% of the gamers reported participating in such social forms of gaming throughout 2024, which shows the communal aspect of gambling which still persist in the ever growing digital age. Overall, the growing popularity of online poker is supported by the diverse spending preferences and habits of players aged between 18 to 34.
Trusted platforms, online casinos like PokerStars, Sky Poker, and 888 Poker emphasize on platform reliability, loyalty programs, and promotions, which have helped gain tremendous attraction of the players, highlighting their evolving expectations from the dynamic gaming market.
