Latest gambling prevalence study released by UK Gambling Commission

The latest UK gambling prevalence study, conducted by independent specialist ICM Research, has been released by the UK Gambling Commission.
Key findings in the current study are:
For remote (online) gambling:
• Over the year to June 2011 (that is, an average of figures for September 2010, December 2010, March 2011 and June 2011), 11.8 percent of the 4,000 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 of 11.8 percent compares with the 2010 calendar year figure of 11.1 percent; 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 growth in participation in remote gambling is explained very largely by increased online participation in the National Lottery. If those only playing National
Lottery products remotely are excluded, only 5.9 percent of respondents had participated in remote gambling in the year to June 2011, compared with the figure of 5.7 percent in 2010; 5.7 percent in 2009; 5.6 percent in 2008; 5.2 percent in 2007 and 5.1 percent in 2006.
• Overall, in the year to June 2011, 9.1 percent of respondents said they had remotely purchased tickets for the National Lottery draw in the previous four weeks.
• Those participating in remote gambling were more likely to be male than female, and were more likely to be aged 18-44.
• Remote gambling via a computer, laptop or handheld device was most popular (10.5 percent of all respondents), followed by gambling via mobile phone (3.2 percent) and interactive/digital TV (1.4 percent).
For general gambling, the study shows:
• Over the year to June 2011 (that is, an average of figures for September 2010, December 2010, March 2011 and June 2011), 56.7 percent of the 4,000 adults surveyed said they had participated in at least one form of [land] gambling in the previous four weeks.
• This figure of 56.7 percent compares with the 2010 calendar year figure of 55.5 percent and the 2009 calendar year figure of 55.2 percent.
• The most popular gambling activity was National Lottery tickets (46.3 percent of respondents), followed by tickets for society or other good cause lotteries (11.6 percent) and National Lottery scratchcards (10.7 percent). Betting on horse races, buying bingo cards or tickets at a bingo hall, and gambling on fruit or slot machines were the next most popular activities (4.6 percent, 3.4 percent and 3.3 percent respectively).
• Those participating in gambling were more likely to be male than female, and were more likely to be aged over 45.

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