The latest Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) has shown that betting participation in the UK has risen by 3 percent since earlier in the year. 37 per cent of those taking part in the survey said that they had gambled online.
The survey was conducted by NatCen for the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and covers data that was collected between April and July of this year. A total of 4,657 adults aged 18 and over were interviewed and the findings give its readers an interesting look at the gambling habits of UK residents.
It revealed that 48 per cent of those questioned had gambled in some way in the past four weeks. That is a figure which is consistent with the percentages recorded in both 2023 and earlier this year.
In terms of which age-groups gamble, the highest range was males between the ages of 45 and 64. However, if those who only play lottery games are excluded, it is males aged between 25 and 34 who top the list.
Of the 37 percent who said they did take part in online gambling, that figure drops to 17 percent if those gamblers who exclusively play lottery games are omitted.
Why do people gamble is a question that is often asked. Replies in this survey included playing because there is “the chance to win big money” but others said that they gambled “because it’s fun.”
The figure for in-person gambling was 29 percent but again saw a fall when lottery-only players were excluded, dropping to 18 percent.
Although the betting participation rose by just over 3 percent, the survey methodology used is different from previous publications. This does therefore make direct historical comparisons a more difficult task. The next set of figures is scheduled to be published on 27 February 2025.
The UKGC also publishes revenue figures for the UK gambling industry. The last set of these showed the industry is still making strong progress, especially when it comes to playing online slot games. However, the UK government has announced that in 2025, the maximum stake for online slot games will be reduced, which did not affect the growth of the industry. According to the data provided by newsites.co.uk, the number of emerging platforms for real-money casinos will continue to grow in 2025.
One of the worries that the government and charities that help those with gambling problems is how gambling affects younger players. GamCare have illustrated this with their figures for 2023-24 showing that of those who called the National Gambling Helpline, 45 percent mentioned a problem with online slots. That’s up 11 percent compared to figures for 2020-21.
Helpline spoke about the difficulties online slots had caused them. That was a rise of 11 percent from the previous figures for 2020-21. The NHS say that they have seen a huge increase in the number of people being referred to them after suffering gambling h harm.
As a result of these concerns, the new maximum stake limit for players aged between 18 and 24 will be just £2. For those aged 25 and above, the new limit will be £5.
Figures released by the UK Gambling Commission for the period June to September 2024 revealed just how important online slots are to the industry. The gross gaming yield for online slots was £680 million, a 16 percent increase when comparing that amount with the same period in 2023.
The new stake limits are expected to see a reduction in the online slot revenue figures and that is not good news for the UK gambling industry. It’s not the first time that a UK government has taken action regarding the maximum stake limit of games.
Fixed odds machines in UK High Street bookmakers were seeing some customers making huge losses. After a long campaign, action was taken and the maximum stake was reduced from £100 to just £2. This hit revenues and led to some shops being closed and redundancies having to be made. The fear is that this action soon to be taken against online slots will also see revenue figures hit.
Another move that spells trouble for the UK gambling industry is the introduction of a new statutory levy that companies will be required to pay. The aim of the Labour government is to raise £100 million a year from the levy. Money raised will go towards funding addiction treatment programs and reducing the stigma that surrounds the subject of gambling harm.
At present, gambling companies do make voluntary payments. The Betting and Gaming Council say that £50 million has been donated this year and £170 million over the past four. Under the new statutory levy, that figure would aim to be £400 million in four years.
