Gambling in the UK as Part of Leisure Spending
A new report by the Department of Trust (DoT) reveals that gambling constitutes a modest portion of leisure spending for the average UK consumer. The data sheds light on how gambling fits into a broader landscape of entertainment and leisure activities, offering insights into consumer priorities.
Gambling’s Role in Leisure Budgets
The Department of Trust (DoT) has analyzed spending habits from over 300,000 UK consumers between April 2023 and April 2024. Their findings highlight that gambling accounts for 10.69 per cent of the average monthly leisure spend. This research, conducted in collaboration with iGamingBusiness, paints a comprehensive picture of how gambling fits into a diverse mix of entertainment options.
The report analyzed data from 304,022 individuals who made payments to UK-licensed gambling operators, revealing a net deposit total of £150.8 million. While industry narratives often emphasize rising gambling expenditure, these findings show that for most consumers, gambling is just one part of their leisure activities, alongside media subscriptions, food delivery, and other forms of entertainment.
Spending Priorities Among Gamblers
For the average gambler, monthly leisure spending totals £390, with gambling occupying the fifth spot in their spending priorities. Activities like food delivery and streaming subscriptions take precedence, suggesting that gambling remains a secondary expense for most.
In contrast, high-value gamblers—those depositing over £150 net with gambling operators—allocate a much larger share of their leisure budgets to gambling. This group spends an average of £191 monthly on gambling, amounting to 42.15 per cent of their leisure expenditure. Despite this, they also spend on other leisure categories, with monthly totals of £36.52 on food delivery and £35 on entertainment media.
A Balanced Leisure Mix
Charles Cohen, CEO of DoT, highlighted that gambling is part of a balanced mix of leisure activities for most UK consumers.
“Money talks and in this case, it eats too, since people spend more on pizza than on a punt.”
Additionally, the report notes that McDonald’s is the most popular food delivery choice among UK gamblers. Fitness and gym subscriptions also featured prominently, while over a third of gamblers made charitable donations directly from their bank accounts, reflecting a diverse approach to personal spending.
