The past six months have seen a significant shake-up in the UK casino market, with overall search volumes down 18%. Four brands were competing at the top of the market in our last analysis, but that’s now been whittled down to a two-horse race between FDJ United’s Unibet and 32Red brands. Both saw slight increases in traffic against the wider downward trend, while rivals NetBet and William Hill slipped away.

The two leaders achieved small gains in estimated monthly clicks: Unibet up 2.7% and 32Red up 6.3%. Given the market contraction and larger traffic losses among their rivals, a gap of 13,460 monthly clicks has opened between 32Red in second place and NetBet in third.

Though the sector overall has lost traffic, some areas have been hit harder than others. Searches for online casinos and welcome bonuses are both down, while blackjack continues to grow after a winter lull.

Unibet and 32Red hold steady

The foundation for the success of the two leading brands comes from maintaining or improving their rankings for the keywords that drive the most traffic. This is crucial at a time when the number of keywords the top 10 brands rank for has dropped from an average of 269 to 219.

Unibet and 32Red are no exception, seeing decreases of 19.8% and 17.2%, respectively. However, both improved their average ranking position, suggesting that most of the lost keywords were already low-performing and unlikely to bring traffic. Crucially, they’ve held onto their highest-ranking terms rather than slipping down the table overall.

Unibet’s top-ranking keywords demonstrate this stability. The brand still holds first position for 20 keywords, the same as in April. ‘Casinos’ alone generates around 7,987 monthly clicks, making its continued dominance on that term vital. Small gains on mid-volume terms such as ‘slots UK’ (up from second to first) have also contributed to its traffic increase.

32Red’s growth has come from a wider mix of sources – benefiting both from rising interest in certain areas and improved rankings for high-priority terms. Searches for ‘casinos online’ rose by 49.4%, generating an extra 965 monthly clicks for 32Red, which retained its position one ranking.

The brand also moved up from third to second for ‘slots’ – the most searched-for term in the sector – adding a further 1,396 monthly clicks. These improvements have strengthened its visibility for an important keyword that continues to see steady demand despite market fluctuations.

For both brands, this resilience around high-traffic keywords has been critical. Their strongest search terms – ‘casino’ for Unibet and ‘slots’ for 32Red – have held steady in search volume, insulating them against wider declines elsewhere.

NetBet and Hills hit by market cooling

The other two brands from our previous top four – NetBet and William Hill – have fallen sharply in visibility, both seeing traffic losses that outpaced the overall 18% market decline. NetBet’s estimated clicks dropped 28.6%, while William Hill’s fell 43.9%, leaving them third and sixth most visible, respectively. NetBet, once a leader, slipped from first to sixth for the keyword ‘casino’, which had been its single biggest traffic driver.

Interestingly, NetBet now ranks first for more keywords than before and has improved its average ranking position overall. It has also seen the smallest drop in total ranking keywords among the top 10 and now holds more top-three positions. But because it lost ground on its highest-volume terms, those improvements haven’t offset the damage.

The positive sign for NetBet is that its underlying data remains strong. With a broader keyword base and improved rankings in the top positions, it has the potential to recover quickly if it can regain lost ground for ‘casino’ and other core terms.

William Hill’s story is more challenging. It has suffered from both ranking declines and drops in search interest, particularly a 70.2% decrease in searches for ‘online slots’, which has heavily impacted its organic visibility. Minor ranking slips for terms such as ‘casino’ have compounded the effect, leaving the brand considerably less visible than before.

One bright spot is that William Hill still holds top position for ‘slots’, which alone brings in an estimated 11,935 monthly clicks. However, heavy reliance on one keyword leaves the brand vulnerable. To stabilise visibility, it will need to expand its high- and medium-volume keyword coverage to spread traffic risk more evenly.

Search trends highlight opportunities

Search term analysis reveals broader shifts in consumer behaviour, with interest in some categories cooling, while others are becoming more prominent. Interest in blackjack has risen steadily through the year – peaking in summer after a quieter winter – continuing a slow upward trend. ‘Blackjack’ climbed from 33,100 monthly searches in April to 40,500 in October, with brands like 888casino and Arkadium benefiting.

Although informational sources such as Wikipedia dominate results for terms like ‘blackjack rules’, there remains a substantial opportunity for casino brands focusing on this growing niche. Conversely, welcome bonuses are seeing reduced search interest. Terms such as ‘welcome bonus’ and ‘casino welcome bonus’ have both fallen in search volume. This is somewhat surprising given that other sectors have seen increased demand for free games.

It may reflect a shift in user intent rather than a decline in interest in promotions. Players may already know which casino they want to use and navigate directly via branded searches, or they may be focusing more on specific games like blackjack rather than choosing based on offers alone.

This trend suggests that brands could rethink how they allocate promotional budgets. If welcome bonuses are losing their appeal as a traffic driver, reallocating resources elsewhere could deliver a better return.

Three key takeaways for casino brands

Protect high-volume keywords: In periods of lower market interest, holding or improving rankings for the biggest traffic drivers can put your brand ahead of competitors. These terms can fluctuate, but losing positions for them requires significant gains elsewhere to compensate.

Maintain a broad keyword profile: A diverse keyword portfolio spreads risk and helps sustain visibility when market conditions change. While it doesn’t guarantee stability, relying on a wider set of search terms offers protection against sudden drops in any one area.

Track and adapt to consumer trends: Understanding shifts in search intent across the industry can reveal new focus areas or cost efficiencies. Rising interest in blackjack presents a growth opportunity, while falling demand for welcome bonuses could justify spending adjustments.

To find out more about how Stickyeyes could help your brand establish and maintain organic growth in the casino market and beyond, please contact William Conboy, director of igaming at Stickyeyes, at William.conboy@stickyeyes.com

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