The UK's market is holding steady, as an improvement in the number of visitors has helped to limit the impact of a decline in both casino drop and win in 2009-10.

The Gambling Commission’s latest figures show that the UK’s gambling market generated a gross gambling yield of £5.7bn between April 1, 2009, and March 31, 2010. Although the non-remote betting sector represents over half the market (52 per cent), casinos are the second largest with 14 per cent, followed by bingo, with 12 per cent.

As of March 31 the majority of the country’s 141 casinos were operated by four companies, namely Genting UK with 44, the Rank Group with 35, the Gala Coral Group with 27 and London Clubs International with 10. At that stage, only the Rank Group had increased the size of its portfolio of casino properties with the addition of three new venues.

Under the Gambling Act 2005, 16 local council areas were earmarked as potential locations for new casinos. One large casino can be permitted in Great Yarmouth, Kingston-upon-Hull, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newham, Solihull and Southampton. Additionally, small casinos can be licensed in Bath and north-east Somerset, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lindsay, Luton, Scarborough, Swansea, Torbay and Wolverhampton. As of March 31, no premises licences had been issued for new casinos, although three 2005 Act licences were held by operators.

Casino drop and win both declined during the year, yet attendance increased significantly. There were over 17 million visits to casinos, an increase of 400,000 over the previous year. Drop fell by three per cent, while there was a five per cent decrease in house win.

Interestingly, although there was a slight decline in the number of gaming machines in casinos, gross profit from machines increased. According to the report, gross profit from machines jumped 19 per cent in 2009-10, and, following a 5.5 per cent drop in house win on table games, they accounted for 18 per cent of gross gaming yield.

According to a survey conducted between 2006 and 2007, overall 68 per cent of the British population - around 32 million adults - participated in some form of gambling activity. Excluding those who only gambled on the lottery, this figure fell to 48 per cent.