How Brits Gamble - A Look At Online Gambling in The UK

Gambling is not a new phenomenon in the UK and gambling sites understand this culture and continue to fuel it by providing more opportunities for gamblers. But how widespread is gambling in the region? If you were to go by the sheer number of Online Casinos UK has to offer, you’d see that the target audience must be pretty big. After all, with hundreds of casinos minting thousands of pounds, it must be! This piece goes into the gambling statistics in Britain, uncovering just how big this industry is:

Why Do Brits Gamble So Much?

Before we even get to the numbers (which are pretty high), we’ve got to think about why Brits take so much liking to gambling. It comes down to:

• The Culture: It’s quite the norm to gamble in Britain. If anything, gambling history dates to the 7th century! Back then, people would wager on horse races. Over time, more games came into the scene – dice games, bingo, you name it!

• The Laws: The laws have been pretty lenient on gambling. When the Betting and Gaming Act of 1960 paved the way for bookies, thousands opened shop the following year. Here was a chance to cater to a growing need amongst the population. And the law favored these activities.

• The Revenue: Bookies in Britain have made it so big that they now offer their services worldwide. But why would this propel gambling? Well, now that bookies know they can turn a tidy profit, they come up with ways to get more people to gamble – signup offers, loyalty programs, using famous people to endorse their sites, etc. The result is a larger audience for the sites.

• The Variety of Bookies: Finding a reputable site is often quite a hassle in most regions. But in Britain, that’s hardly an issue. Almost everywhere you look seems to be a good bookie with good odds and fantastic payment terms. And with so many options available, punters have no reason to shy away from this pastime. While land-based establishments may have taken a hit due to the rise of online gaming, that has not dampened the gambling culture.

So, gambling is quite a common recreation in the region, fueled by culture, favorable laws, and profit-seeking bookies.

How Much Money Does the Gambling Industry Make?

Are you curious about how much money gamblers invest in this recreational activity? Statistics derived from September 2020 revealed the following revenue expressed in millions of pounds:

• Remote Casinos: 1,937.98

• The National Lottery: 1,606.41

• Remote Betting: 1,042.26

• Non-Remote Betting: 629.26

• Both Remote and Non-Remote Lotteries: 310.54

• Non-Remote Arcades: 104.68

• Remote Bingo: 98.12

• Non-Remote Bingo: 92

• Non-Remote Casinos: 67.03

The rise in remote gambling, which accounts for the high revenue in remote establishments, owes to COVID 19 lockdowns, increased investment in online gambling ads, and more young players getting into gambling.

How Many Brits Gamble?

Given the high revenues associated with the gambling industry, it’s safe to assume that many Brits enjoy placing wagers. But how big is this group?

A survey conducted by the UKGC in September 2020 on 4,007 participants revealed that 45.50% of the males surveyed actively gambled compared to 40.00% of the females in the group. Based on the age groups, the survey showed that gambling was prevalent in the following percentages per category:

• 16- 24: 32.30%

• 25 -34: 40.50%

• 35 –44: 47.60%

• 45 -54: 48.50%

• 55 -64: 45.80%

• 65+: 39.50%

These figures show that in each age group, at least 30% of the surveyed individuals had placed a wager in the four weeks before the survey. That’s quite a large number.

How Often Do Brits Gamble?

Another key consideration is how often people place wagers. Of the 4,007 participants in the study, the answers were as follows:

• Less than 1 month: 15.10%

• Once a month (<once a week): 30.80%

• Once a week: 31.80%

• 2> times a week: 22.20%

Thus, most people gamble once a week, averaging four times a month. And when asked what they liked to wager on, the answers were as follows:

• Sports: 65.70%

• Football Pools: 60.40%

• Other Events, e.g., politics: 59.00%

• Horse Racing: 56.10%

• Casino Games: 54.50%

• Other Lotteries: 43.80%

• Bingo: 36.00%

• The National Lottery: 30.90%

The survey also went into how much people were willing to spend per week on gambling. And the results revealed that those under 30 spent an average of £1.50 per week while those aged 75 and above put up £2.20 a week. On average, most households spend about £2.60 per week.

Is the government doing anything to slow this rise in gambling? Sure! It has cracked down on gambling ads, imposed rules to aid in aid and status verification, and curtailed the use of credit cards in gambling. Moreover, it has advocated for the use of GAMSTOP, a service that allows gamblers to take control of their gambling activities. Problem gamblers can thus avoid going over and beyond what they can afford by limiting their time on sites. While betting sites seem to have found a way around this measure, it has helped quite many players.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes