UK casinos are seeing a shift this year. Slots still dominate online gambling, holding over 80% of earnings. But roulette is gaining popularity. It now accounts for almost 8% of the £340 million market and 13.7% of player sessions. This growth is due to upcoming stake limits on slots in 2025 and a new generation seeking engaging experiences. Roulette’s comeback is bringing a mix of classic strategy and up-to-date style to UK casinos.
The Grip of Slots: How They Took Over
For the past ten years or so, slot machines have been the main attraction in UK casinos. In the early 2010s, fixed-odds betting terminals in betting shops made over £3 billion each year. In 2019, the government decreased the highest possible wager from £100 to £2, which reduced profits and hurt physical slot machines.
Online slots gained traction around 2020. By 2023, they made up over 70% of the income from remote gambling, far surpassing games like roulette, which only accounted for 8%. The increase in gambling problems prompted the 2023 Gambling White Paper. As a result, betting limits are scheduled to go into action in 2025: £5 for adults and £2 for young people. These limits could make slot games less popular, and may encourage people to try roulette or gamble in other countries.
Why Roulette is Spinning Back into Favour
Roulette is popular because it’s simple and social, unlike slots. Players bet on choices like red or black and watch the outcome. It’s a shared experience, not a solitary one. In 2024, casinos saw a 15% rise in roulette play as slot rules tightened. Live dealer roulette, streamed online, combines real casino excitement with digital ease.
London’s Hippodrome Casino has increased its roulette offerings, such as Lightning Roulette, which has bigger payouts. Gambling Commission data shows that table games like roulette are gaining traction. With slots facing affordability issues, roulette is seen as a preferable alternative.
Many UK players, upset with local limits, now visit international sites for roulette without restrictions. Sites licensed outside the UK, like those by the Malta Gaming Authority, provide many roulette games, from European to American, with bonuses and no GamStop restrictions. These sites permit UK players with simple crypto payouts and better live streams, but informed gamblers should consider permits and fees, and explore further.
Player Shifts and Casino Adaptations
Slot players often get tired due to the fast slots’ speed, mainly after stake cuts turned quick fun into slow repetition. A lot of these players now prefer roulette because it blends strategy with luck, like section betting, which slots don’t have. A 2025 Mintel study shows that, because of changes in rules, 40% of players now like social games. Women, especially, are moving to roulette because it often has better odds than many slots.
To compete, casinos are putting on roulette tournaments to build community and adding tech like faster electronic tables, but keeping a human element. Online places give free trials to attract new players safely. Still, slower roulette can cause issues for casinos by lowering profit, but they are addressing it by mixing features of both game types. Reforms in 2025 also allow more machines and encourage diverse floor plans to keep people playing longer, which secures roulette’s lasting place.
Key Stats Highlighting Roulette’s Rise
Roulette is becoming popular again, according to the newest numbers. Here are some key figures from recent reports that show how the game is growing.
- More Players: Roulette’s appeal has increased, with a 15% rise in players at the tables. The Gambling Commission noted this is 8% higher than other games. This change occurred after they put limits on slot machine bets.
- Market Share Change: Table games now account for 12% of online gambling earnings in the second quarter of 2025. This is an increase from 8% in 2023, with roulette contributing 45% of this total.
- Popular with Young Women: A study found that 35% of female gamblers aged 25-34 prefer roulette. They like the social aspect more than slots.
- Live Roulette Success: Live games have seen a 40% increase in play since last year. This pushed overall session values up by 22% in UK casinos.
- Future Growth: Experts project that roulette will bring in £1.2 billion to the business by 2029. This is a 25% increase from 2024, showing the market is growing.
Emerging Roulette Variants and Innovations
Roulette isn’t just relying on its classic appeal; game makers are finding ways to keep it interesting. Lightning Roulette, for example, adds random multipliers up to 500x to simple bets. This has made the game very popular since 2018. Casinos say it now accounts for 30% of all live roulette action because it mixes European rules with the chance for big wins.
Mega Fire Blaze Roulette can give multipliers that go up to 10,000x with cool fire animations. Some sites are trying out virtual reality roulette, so players can feel like they’re at a real table without leaving home. These kinds of updates keep things interesting and encourage people to gamble responsibly. People are playing longer, and innovative technology could add things like AI betting to assist down the road.
Conclusion: A Wheel in Motion
The return of roulette hints at a healthier, more varied UK casino scene. Even with limits on slot machines, roulette shows that casinos do well by offering exciting times and a sense of community. Financial forecasts say the market could reach £13 billion by 2033. Roulette might get even bigger if casinos come up with smart, up-to-date ideas. At a real-world casino or online, the spinning roulette wheel is still attractive to folks.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
