New research has shown that almost half of the population has gambled at some point in the last month.
Data from the Gambling Commission, which regulates the industry in the UK,shows that 49% of people who responded to research had gambled in the last four weeks although the figure drops to 33% when you exclude those that have only played the National Lottery
The research looks at overall gambling participation and perceptions in 2016, as well as how people gamble online, the devices they use and the influence of social media.
Figures also explore consumer interest and awareness around terms and conditions, self-exclusion and other gambling management tools.
James Green, programme director said: “This report paints an important picture of how consumers in Britain choose to gamble – identifying emerging trends and potential risks to the public. We are also now able to provide a more detailed snapshot of online behaviours, which featured for the first time last year.
“Effective protections come from strong evidence. Our research puts us in a powerful position to better understand the needs of gambling consumers.”
Key figures from the research show:
- 48% of respondents have gambled in the past four weeks (a 3% increase on 2015), this figure drops to 33% when you exclude those that have only played the National Lottery
- of those surveyed, 53% of men (50% in 2015) and 44% of women (41% in 2015) have gambled
- 17% of people that gambled did so online, with 97% of online gamblers gambling at home (unchanged from last year)
- use of mobile phones or tablet devices to gamble has increased by 10% since 2015, to 43%
Online gambling remains big business in the UK, driven by a number of promotions available for the plethora of sites now available.
Latest figures showing almost a third of all bets placed are done so via apps and websites.
According to the Gambling Commission, which regulates the industry in the UK, a whopping £3.6bn was spent in 2014/15 (the latest figures available) on remote betting, bingo and casino games.
The represents 29% of the total spend of £12.6bn across the time period from October 2014 to September 2015.
Mr Green said: “For the first time the figures include almost a full year’s worth of data relating to online gambling operators – the market share of the online betting, bingo and casino sector is 29% and we’ll be interested to see how this varies over time.
“Offline we’re seeing changes. For instance, there’s been a reduction in the number of betting shops, arcades and bingo halls in the last two years.
“Market trends and consumer participation research are key to shaping the Commission’s regulatory policy to keep gambling in Britain safe for consumers, fair, and crime-free.”
Image courtesy of Alan Cleaver, with thanks.
