Who Are the People in the UK Who Gamble? See a Glimpse into their Commonalities

Gambling in the UK is standard, with the average UK gambler spending £2.60 per week on gambling activities. Here are the traits of moderate UK gamblers.

How popular is gambling in the UK?

Gambling remains one of the main activities through which UK residents prefer to make money. Even though when comparing the last years, the brick-in-mortar gambling establishments have decreased in numbers, the online gambling sector has advanced.

Thus, more people choose to gamble remotely, as there are many advantageous factors: access from anywhere, a variety of games, promotions, and convenience.

Gambling statistics show half of the UK’s population gamble

Statistics reveal that during 2020, more than 24 million UK gamblers have wagered, and close to half of them chose to do this via web-based gambling platforms. Considering this data, we can understand that almost 22% of players in the UK decide to access gambling-oriented activities through online operators. Nearly a third of these players gambled at least once a week.

Furthermore, another 30% of UK punters reportedly gambled less than once a week a month, while under a sixth of them gambled less than once a month. This study shows that the gambling and betting sector remains one of the most stable industries in the UK market.

The profile of the average UK gambler

In 2020, the National Gambling Treatment Service researched the annual statistics of gambling activity in the UK. According to their survey, the median age of the average gambler is 35 years old.

Out of a total of 8490 individuals treated by gambling services, 80.3% were male, and 19.6% were female gamblers.

In February 2022, Statista released a survey conducted between 2015 and 2021, through which 4007 respondents participated. It turns out that over 23% of females have been involved in at least one form of gambling in the past month.

Other traits of most UK gamblers

Another similarity between the average gamblers is that UK gamblers who are employed (73%) and married (26%) or in a relationship (36%) are more likely to develop gambling as a habit than people who are unemployed (10%) or divorced (4%) or separated (3%).

Sports betting – the primary commonality between UK gamblers

When referring to UK gamblers’ preferences when it comes to their gambling habits, sports betting is among the most notable. Football is the most popular sport in sports betting, and many UK punters prefer wagering on their favourite teams.

Online gambling became a commodity

Another common thing UK players have in common is gambling online through their mobile devices. As the online gambling industry has boomed in the past years, more punters opt for online versions of their favourite games via legitimate gambling platforms. Not only do they have a wider variety of games, but they also have the chance to obtain profitable online casino coupons.

kingcasinobonus.uk, a casino market analysis platform, developed a study on the gaming preferences of the average gamblers. Thus, gambling experts revealed that online slots are preferred by younger players (aged between 18-34 years old) and senior players aged between 55 to 64 years old.

Online vs brick-in-mortar casinos – which one do UK gamblers prefer?

When comparing the two, there is a clear difference between gamblers who play in physical casinos (29%) and those who prefer web-based casinos (79%). A significantly higher proportion of UK players opt for online casino games.

How much do UK punters spend on average?

As gambling is prevalent in the UK, with almost half of the population gambling at least once in their lifetime, the amount they spend is strict to the frequency of their gambling activity.

Therefore, the average UK citizen spends £135 each year without considering or developing gambling as a habit. However, the average devoted gambler spends £100 every day. This amount can vary from lower to higher sums to even £417 per day.

Gambling addiction decreased in the past years

In June 2022, a survey conducted during the 12 months prior to June revealed that the statistics regarding gambling addiction rates declined from 0.4% in 2021 to 0.2% in 2022.

These statistics showed that even though the gambling industry completely took over the iGaming market, all UKGC regulations positively impacted the gambling industry.

As each web-based casino must be part of GAMSTOP, it is clear that offering gamblers the option of self-exclusion from gambling activities is a proper method of helping problem gamblers.

The gambling industry maintains its audience

As far as the popularity of gambling and sports betting is concerned, the UK audience maintains its firm position. When it comes to the iGaming market, it is evident that online gambling keeps its relevance, facilitating punters’ experience.

Content written and produced by ISmartmedia Marketing