The UKGC has published its second annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain, and the findings are interesting.
The study is a large one conducted by the UK gambling regulation body to assess gambling behaviours and player participation.
With over 19,700 respondents, the study highlights gambling behaviour in a large group of Britons and makes some key findings.
The survey is split into two reports to cover the complex issue and responses regarding those who are at risk of gambling and why, and the consequences these groups face from excessive gambling in the second report.
What Were The Key Findings?
The UKGC summarised some of the key findings of its survey. The first being that 48 percent of UK adults have gambled in the past month, but this decreased to 28% when lottery players were not counted.
Secondly, 42 percent of those who said they gambled in the past year rated their experience positively, compared to half, at 21% who rated their experience negatively.
85 percent of those who gamble said they gamble to win large sums of money. Another 72 percent said they gamble for leisure.
However, it was not all good news. Worryingly, 2.7 percent of adults scored over eight on the Problem Gambling Severity Index, although it appears the percentage has not risen from the year before in 2023.
Report 1 Key Findings
From the first report, several other interesting findings were made:
- Those who gamble strictly on the lottery are more likely to be older, married homeowners.
- However, those who gamble weekly in any game are more likely to live in deprived areas, have less education, and live in social housing.
- Those who gamble more often (weekly) score higher on the problematic gambling scale than those who gamble the same amount a week on the lottery. Unsurprisingly, people who gamble frequently each week rank higher than those who gamble less often.
- The report also identified that those who take part in weekly in-play betting for weekly rewards rank higher on the problematic gambling scale.
Report 2 Key Findings
This report detailed the demographics and consequences of gambling based on the respondents’ answers.
- Problematic gambling was common mostly among young men, people from Mixed, Asian, or Black backgrounds, and among those with less disposable income.
- Negative consequences of gambling expanded across various areas of life. Most respondents said they experienced at least one negative consequence from gambling.
- The survey defined these areas into the areas of resources, relationships, and health.
Andrew Rhodes, the Gambling Commission’s Chief Executive, called the survey a “key building block of the evidence base which helps government, industry and other partners understand both gambling behaviour and potential consequences from gambling.”
He added that this year’s survey delves deeper into recognising and understanding the consequences of problematic gambling. He also urged gambling operators to use the reports and data to highlight gambling risks within their customer base.
Rhodes went on to list UKGC measures that were introduced within the last year, including the financial vulnerability checks for those who spent over £150 on gambling.
Overall, the study concluded many interesting things about UK players’ gambling behaviour, and highlighted which groups were more likely to engage in troublesome gambling practices.
If you’re curious about the full report, it’s on the regulator’s website.
