The UK has long been one of the world’s leading online gambling markets. Under the Gambling Commission, the industry has thrived thanks to its strict rules and balance between strict regulation and a free market.
Premier League jerseys clearly demonstrate the industry’s prominence in the country. Although according to The Guardian, from the 2026/27 season, the brands will be limited to sleeves and billboards, rather than being the main sponsor in the middle of the jersey. Even so, the gambling industry will continue to thrive.
As such a competitive and relatively open market, understanding trends in UK consumer preferences is key for existing brands to remain popular, and for new brands to enter the market and create more competition. A new report makes it clear that UK gamblers are moving away from what was once a staple of the gambling experience.
UK gamblers’ preferences are changing
Since the online casino industry was founded in the UK nearly two decades ago, players can always look forward to a welcome bonus when signing up. During this period of operation, the welcome bonus is a percentage of the deposit match, up to a total amount, and more recently has been bundled with some free trials.
All of these standardized welcome bonuses are subject to wagering requirements. Typically, these requirements are around 20 to 50 times your turnover. Essentially, it makes the bonus, winnings, and possibly the initial deposit (sometimes tied to the total offer) non-refundable real money winnings.
From a business perspective, this makes sense, but as competition increases, more and more brands will turn to bonuses that eliminate one of these two main requirements. As a report from King Casino Bonus found, UK players are now gravitating towards these bonuses which require no deposit or wagering requirements.
The reporting team says players value the chance to try out a game without investing real money, which is why when a no deposit offer comes with five free trials, 32% of players take it. When it comes to no stakes bonuses, free trials are the best seller compared to no stakes deposit bonuses.
The report states that the difference between the two is indeed quite stark. The claim rate for free spins with no wagering required is 83%, while the claim rate for deposit bonuses with no wagering required is 17%. Simplicity is seen as key to these bonuses, as they will obviously only return the amount that players win from them.
Breaking the traditional thinking and focusing on slot machines
Conventional thinking says that you need to put a big number on your gambling ad to attract the most players. For example, a matched deposit offer of up to £800 will immediately stand out on a website ad banner, especially because the first thing players will notice is the ‘£800 bonus’ part.
However, trends in the UK gambling world clearly show that bonus size is not important. Instead, it’s the ability to try or get real value before buying that matters. Beyond that, it’s clear that free trials are the most attractive form of bonus, which is consistent with the Gambling Commission’s findings that £3.2 billion of the £4 billion in total gambling revenue generated by online casino games comes from slots.
Clearly, free spins are going to be at the top of the list when UK casino players are looking for a new platform, as are bonuses that don’t require a deposit or have no wagering requirements attached to them.
