UKGC Reports Gambling Trends in Great Britain
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has released the latest findings from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), providing a comprehensive view of gambling habits and participation trends across the country. Conducted by NatCen, the survey analyzed data from over 4,600 adults to shed light on the nation’s engagement with gambling activities.
Overview of Gambling Participation
The survey revealed that 48 percent of adults had participated in some form of gambling in the four weeks prior to the survey, a figure consistent with data from 2023 and the first wave of 2024. However, when excluding participants who only engaged in lottery draws, the participation rate dropped to 28 percent.
Males aged 45 to 64 years were the most active gambling demographic overall. However, removing lottery-only participants shifted the age profile downward, with males aged 25 to 34 years exhibiting the highest gambling participation rates. This highlights significant demographic differences depending on the type of gambling activity involved.
Online and In-Person Gambling Trends
Online gambling continues to play a important role, with 37 percent of respondents engaging in online gambling within the past four weeks. Excluding lottery-only players, this figure dropped sharply to 17 percent, emphasizing the dominance of lotteries in online gambling activities.
In-person gambling participation stood at 29 percent overall, but the rate fell to 18 percent when excluding those who only participated in lottery draws. These figures underscore the pivotal role of lottery draws in shaping overall gambling statistics.
Popular Gambling Activities
Lotteries, including National Lottery and charity lottery draws, remain the most popular gambling activities, with participation rates of 31 percent and 16 percent, respectively. Scratchcards and betting followed, each with a 12 percent participation rate, while 7 percent of respondents reported engaging in online instant win games. Notably, betting saw a important uptick compared to the first wave of 2024, increasing by over 3 percentage points.
Respondents identified “the chance to win big money” and “because it’s fun” as the primary reasons for their gambling participation. These insights highlight the emotional and aspirational drivers that influence gambling behavior.
The UKGC noted that the GSGB data, while comprehensive, is not directly comparable to earlier reports due to changes in survey methodology. The next report in the series, covering Wave 3 of 2024, is scheduled for release on 27 February 2025.
