The Gambling Commission has released a 58-page annual report detailing gambling behavior, awareness and attitudes in Great Britain for 2017. The statistical report reveals all there is to know about gambling trends in Britain. Published annually, the report covers:
- Rates of participation in gambling
- Estimates of problems associated with gambling
- Online gambling behavior
- Consumer awareness of gambling management tools
- General perceptions and attitutes toward gambling
The Gambling Commission regulates the National Lottery under the National Lottery Act of 1993. It was set up under the Gambling Act of 2005 to regulate commercial gambling in Great Britain together with other licensing authorities.
The Gambling Commission tracks gambling behavior across a number of indexes and presents its reports to educate people around the world. This current report was prepared with several datasets via combinations of online and telephone surveys. The surveys were conducted on subjects 16 years and above.
General Statistics Revealed About Gamblers in the Report
- 45% of people have gambled in the past four weeks
- 18% of people have gambled online in the past four weeks
- 1% of people who have gambled, have played on machines in a bookmakers in the past four weeks
- 0.8% of all respondents identified as problem gamblers, and 3.9% identified as at-risk gamblers.
- 51% of online gamblers did so using a mobile phone or tablet
- On average, online gamblers held 4 accounts each
- 6% of gamblers have self-excluded
- 26% of gamblers follow gambling companies on social media
- 33% of people think gambling is fair and can be trusted
- 41% of people think that gambling is associated with crime
Breakdown of Statistics Covered in Each Section of Report
Under the sections for gambling participation, the report examines:
How many people gamble?
The report under the section for “how many people gamble” reveals that 45% of people aged 16 years and above have taken part in at least one form of gambling within the past four weeks.
What do people gamble on?
Under this section, the report reveals that most people, representing 27% of gamblers staked their bets on the National Lottery draws. About 11% of other gamblers gambled using scratchcards and other forms of lotteries including Lotto.
Why do people gamble?
Under this section, the report reveals reasons why most people gambled in 2017. Some of the given reasons include:
– Desire to win (46%)
– Fun and enjoyment (34%)
– To win a jackpot (19%)
– To contribute to a good cause (18%)
How do people gamble?
Under this section, Gambling Commission’s report examines how people gamble. Most of them state that they gamble –
– In-person
– On the internet
– Both online and in-person
To this extent, 80% of people said they gambled in-person within the four-week period the report covered; and 42% said they gambled online within the same period.
How often people gamble?
Under this section, the report states how often people spent money to gamble within the four weeks under question in 2017. People responded that –
– 33% said they gambled once a week
– 29% said they gambled once a month but less than a week
Other sections examined in details in the report are:
- The problems and risks of gambling
- Online gambling behavior
- Consumer analysis
- Terms and conditions provided by gambling operators
- Complaints given by gamblers
- Social media and advertising
- Social gaming
- Perceptions and attitudes
- Public opinion on gambling policy
- Research methodology
