UK Gambling Commission releases latest gambling prevalence stats

The UK Gambling Commission, which regularly commissions independent surveys of gambling prevalence in Britain, has published the latest statistics for the twelve months ended March 2010.
Survey data on gambling participation provides information on the participation in all gambling activities including remote [online] forms of gambling. It sets out the findings from questions asked through an independent omnibus survey conducted by ICM Research. The annual data is published quarterly, based on an updated sample of 8 000 interviews.
The following findings are based on two separate sets of questions. The first set of questions measures participation in all types of gambling activity (including by remote means), the second set measures participation solely in remote forms of gambling such as via a computer, mobile phone or interactive/digital TV).
Key findings in the survey in all gambling participation include:
• Over the year to March 2010 (an average of figures for June 2009,
September 2009, December 2009 and March 2010), 54.7 percent of the 8 000 respondents said they had participated in at least one form of gambling in the previous four weeks. This is slightly lower than the 2009 calendar year figure of 55.2 percent.
• The most popular gambling activity was once again National Lottery tickets (45.4 percent of
respondents), followed by National Lottery scratch cards (10.5 percent) and tickets for
social or other good cause lotteries (9.9 percent). Betting on horse races, private betting
and gaming with family and friends, and fruit or slot machine gambling were the
next most popular activities (3.5 percent, 3.3 percent and 3.1 percent respectively).
• Those participating in gambling were more likely to be male than female, and were
more likely to be aged over 45.
Key findings regarding remote [online] gambling participation included:
• Over the year to March 2010, 10.7 percent of the 8 000 adults
surveyed said they had participated in at least one form of remote gambling in the
previous four weeks. Around half of these had participated only in National Lottery
products. This figure is very slightly up on the 2009 calendar year figure of 10.5 percent; the
2008 calendar year figure of 9.7 percent; the 2007 calendar year figure of 8.8 percent; and the
2006 calendar year figure of 7.2 percent.
• The study notes that the slight growth in participation in remote gambling is largely attributable     to increased online participation in the National Lottery. If those only playing National Lottery products remotely are excluded, only 5.7 percent of respondents had participated in
remote gambling in the year to March 2010, compared with 5.7 percent (no change) in 2009; 5.6 percent in 2008; 5.2 percent in 2007; and 5.1 percent in 2006.
• Overall, in the year to March 2010, 8.5 percent of respondents said they had purchased
tickets remotely for the National Lottery draw in the previous four weeks (either only
or in addition to other types of gambling activity).
• Those participating in remote gambling were more likely to be male than female,
and were likely to be aged 18-44.
• Remote gambling via a computer, laptop or handheld device was most popular
(9.4 percent of all respondents), followed by gambling via mobile phone (2.8 percent) and
Interactive/digital TV (1.7 percent).
Readers can find the full survey here: http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/Survey%20data%20on%20gambling%20participation%20-%20April%202010.pdf.

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