GB problem gambling rate stable at 0.2% despite increase in play
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The quarterly telephone survey conduct by Yonder consulting found that of a sample of 4,018 adults aged over 16, there was a general increase in gambling activity in the UK.
Of all the respondents, 43.3% had participated in at least one form of gambling in the past four weeks, with males aged 45-54 the most likely group to gamble.
In year to March 2022, the in-person gambling participation rate increased to 26.0%, from 23% the previous year. The Commission noted that the increase in participation appears to be driven by a return to in person gambling activities since the pandemic.
The participation rates for in-person activities still, however, remain below pre-pandemic levels.
Meanwhile, 25.7% of people said they gambled online, continuing a long-term increase.
Looking at participation by game type, 5.2% took part in betting, while 27.2% took part in National Lottery draws and 7.2% used scratchcards. Meanwhile, 13.3% played another lottery and 3.4% played online slots.
The problem gambling rate, is statistically stable at 0.2% while the moderate and low risk rates are also stable at 0.9% and 1.4% respectively. While this problem gambling figure was lower than in the , the Commission said the difference was not statistically significant.
The survey did find that there was a statistically significant decline in problem gambling among males, however, as this rate reached only 0.3%.
In its , the Commission noted that 2021 was the first year to show a switch towards more positive perceptions of gambling, shown by the proportion of respondents who agreed that ‘gambling is dangerous for family life’ reducing by 5%.
