It has now exceeded that total, reaching £4.03bn. Revenue from online casino products, which which are associated with higher rates of problem gambling than sports betting, according to a 2018 NHS survey, reached a high of £4.01bn in the Covid-affected year to the end of March 2021.
In that period many punters switched from betting on sports to online casino games, and the figures indicate the trend has stuck.
The record high returns mark a bounceback for an industry that suffered a £1.5bn hit in the year most affected by Covid-19, due to the cancellation of sporting events and the enforced closure of betting shops.