Leading Brands in the UK Online Betting & Real Money Gambling Market: Q1 2025 Analysis

Introduction

In the UK, the online betting and real money gambling market continues to thrive, with several key players emerging as leaders. This article delves into the performance of three prominent brands: bet365, Paddy Power, and Betfair Sports Betting, analyzing their trends from Q4 2024 to Q1 2025. Using data provided by Sensor Tower, we explore audience engagement, app performance, and advertising strategies across platforms.

bet365

bet365 maintains a formidable presence through its website, bet365.com, and its app, bet365 - Sports Betting.

• Audience Trends: From October 2024 to March 2025, bet365.com experienced a noticeable decline in visits, starting from over 137M visits in October to under 50M by March. The monthly unique visits showed a similar trend, maintaining a range around 1.2M to 1.4M. The monthly true audience remained stable above 2.5M throughout Q1 2025.

• App Engagement: The bet365 app saw a significant increase in monthly active users, rising from approximately 1.5M in October to over 1.8M by March, indicating a growing preference for mobile betting.

• Ad Spend & Channels: bet365's monthly ad spend increased steadily, peaking at over $1.7M in March. YouTube was the dominant channel, accounting for the majority of impressions, while platforms like Facebook and Snapchat also contributed significantly.

Paddy Power

Paddy Power's ecosystem includes the website, paddypower.com, and the Paddy Power Sports Betting app.

• Audience Trends: The website saw a peak in visits in January 2025, reaching over 28M. Monthly true audience numbers hovered around 1.4M to 1.7M in Q1 2025, with a notable increase in both app and web-only visitors.

• App Engagement: The app's monthly active user base grew from over 600K in October 2024 to more than 1M by March 2025, suggesting strong user retention and acquisition.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Paddy Power significantly ramped up monthly ad spending, exceeding $2.4M in January. Facebook and YouTube were key channels, delivering substantial impressions.

Betfair Sports Betting

Betfair's offerings include its website, betfair.com, and the Betfair Sports Betting app.

• Audience Trends: Betfair.com visits remained relatively stable, with around 32M visits in March 2025. The monthly true audience showed a slight decline to just over 420K by March.

• App Engagement: The app maintained a consistent monthly active user base, with numbers fluctuating around 180K to 160K.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Betfair's monthly ad spend peaked at over $360K in January, with Facebook being the primary channel for impressions.

Conclusion

The UK online betting and real money gambling market demonstrates dynamic trends, with each brand leveraging its unique strengths. bet365 shows strong mobile engagement, Paddy Power excels in user growth, and Betfair maintains a steady presence. Sensor Tower's comprehensive data continues to provide invaluable insights into these brands' cross-platform strategies, highlighting the critical role of digital advertising and user engagement in this competitive industry.

By harnessing Sensor Tower's detailed analytics, decision-makers can gain a strategic edge, optimizing their approaches to capture and retain market share effectively. For more insights, explore Sensor Tower's products and services.