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UK Online Gaming Operators Maintain Momentum After Remote Gaming Duty Adjustment

Zara Hansen · Aug 23, 2026

UK Online Gaming Operators Maintain Momentum After Remote Gaming Duty Adjustment

UK online gambling market trends and operator performance charts for 2026

Leading UK-licensed operators including Entain, Evoke, and Super Group posted UK revenue growth during Q2 and the first half of 2026 even after the Remote Gaming Duty rate doubled from 21% to 40% in April of that year. The change affected online gaming activities yet the broader market showed little immediate disruption according to aggregated figures.

Market Data from Major Operators

Regulus Partners examined results from six major operators that together account for roughly two-thirds of UK online gambling revenue. Their review found online betting activity remained broadly flat during Q2 while online gaming recorded growth near 12% compared with the same period a year earlier. These operators continue to operate under UK licensing rules and reported the figures after the tax adjustment took effect.

Entain, Evoke, and Super Group each highlighted positive UK performance across both the second quarter and the opening six months of 2026. The combined picture suggests that consumer demand for online gaming products held steady despite the higher duty rate applied to remote gaming services.

Timing and Scope of the Duty Change

The Remote Gaming Duty increase began in April 2026 and applied to all UK-licensed online gaming operators. Analysts noted that the full financial impact might take longer to appear because operators could absorb short-term costs or adjust promotional activity later in the year. Data covering Q2 therefore captures only the initial months following the rate change.

By August 2026 observers had access to these half-year results and could compare them against pre-April trends. The figures released so far cover the period immediately after the duty rose yet show continued expansion in the gaming segment that forms a large part of many operators' UK income.

Operator-Specific Performance Highlights

Each of the named operators reported UK growth for both Q2 and the first half of the year. Their disclosures formed part of the six-company sample reviewed by Regulus Partners. While individual company strategies differ, the aggregate numbers point to resilience in online gaming revenue streams during the first full quarter under the new 40% rate.

Online betting, by contrast, showed little movement in either direction according to the same dataset. The split between betting and gaming performance illustrates how different product categories responded in the months immediately after the duty adjustment.

Analysis of Remote Gaming Duty impact on UK operators Q2 2026

Analyst Perspective on Future Quarters

Regulus Partners cautioned that larger effects could surface in subsequent reporting periods. Operators may alter marketing spend, adjust product pricing, or modify player offers once the higher duty becomes a permanent feature of their cost base. The Q2 and H1 2026 numbers therefore represent an early snapshot rather than a definitive long-term outcome.

Those reviewing the market note that the six operators examined represent a substantial share of total UK revenue, which lends weight to the observed patterns. At the same time the analysts emphasised that smaller or specialist operators outside the sample might experience different pressures.

Context Within Broader Industry Reporting

The findings appear in a brief published by CDC Gaming that summarises the Regulus analysis of operator-reported data. The brief focuses solely on the period following the April 2026 duty change and does not incorporate later quarters. Industry participants therefore treat the 12% gaming growth figure and the flat betting result as indicators of initial market response.

Further clarity is expected when operators release Q3 results later in 2026. Until then the available statistics show that the immediate post-April period did not produce visible contraction in the segments examined.

Conclusion

The data compiled by Regulus Partners indicates that UK-licensed operators maintained revenue growth in online gaming through the first half of 2026 despite the higher Remote Gaming Duty rate. Betting volumes stayed largely unchanged during the same window. While analysts flagged the possibility of greater effects in future quarters, the Q2 and H1 results released so far reflect continued expansion for the major operators covered in the review. Additional reporting periods will reveal whether these trends persist once the duty adjustment has been in place for a full year.