Heat Hits UK Gambling Searches & Revenue

Soaring temperatures have been bad news for UK gambling operators.
According to a recent report in Gaming Sector Report, Google gambling searches from the UK were down 34% this July from the same period last year. July 2013, not coincidentally, was also the third hottest July in Britain since 1910 with soaring temperatures and below average rainfall.
All that heat distracted Brits from gambling on all fronts (including bingo!). The biggest hits came in the casino market where searches were down 35% and in sports betting where they were down 31%. Bingo and poker saw the smallest drop offs losing 16% and 18% each.
Hot weather is also being blamed for lower earnings by some big name operators with strong ties to England, like Ladbrokes. The UK-based bookmaker said that business was down 15% in their betting shops and 9% on machines during the dog days.
Company officials were quick to point out that they saw the decline as a one-off event, rather than a long-term trend. They fully expect Brits to be back on the fruit machines as soon as cooler weather arrives.
While a heat-related decline in gambling-related searches and operator profits is no laughing matter, it does suggest a change in the English character. After all, these are the same people who inspired songwriter Noel Coward to write, “Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.”