UK Gambling Commission releases latest Gambling Prevalence stats

The UK Gambling Commission has released its latest Gambling Prevalence Survey, completed by ICM Research and covering the year period to end March 2012.

Key findings in the report include:

All gambling participation (including by remote means (mobile, online and interactive television)

• Over the year to March 2012 (that is, an average of figures for June 2011,
September 2011, December 2011 and March 2012), 58.1 percent of the 4,000 adults
surveyed said they had participated in at least one form of gambling in the previous
four weeks.

• This figure of 58.1 percent is up slightly compared with the 2011 calendar year figure of 57.3 percent, 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 (48 percent of
respondents), followed by National Lottery scratchcards (13 percent) and tickets for
society or other good cause lotteries (10.6 percent).

Betting on horse races, gambling on fruit or slot machines, and private betting with family, friends or colleagues were the next most popular activities (4.3 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.

Focusing on remote gambling participation, ICM Research reported:

• Over the year to March 2012, 12.2 percent of the 4,000 adults surveyed said they had participated in at least one form of remote gambling in the previous four weeks1. Around half of these had participated just in National Lottery products.

• This figure of 12.2 percent is slightly lower compared with the 2011 calendar year figure of 12.4 percent. Previous years stats were 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.

• Participation in remote gambling was largely due to increased online participation in the National Lottery. If those only playing National Lottery products remotely are excluded, 5.4 percent of respondents had participated in remote gambling in the year to March 2012, compared with the figure of 6.1 percent in 2011, 5.7 percent in 2010 and 2009, 5.6 percent in 2008, 5.2 percent in 2007 and 5.1 percent in 2006.

• Overall, in the year to March 2012, 10 percent of respondents said they had remotely purchased tickets 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 more likely to be aged 18-44.

• Remote gambling via a computer, laptop or handheld device was most popular (11 percent of all respondents), followed by gambling via mobile phone (2.5 percent) and interactive/digital TV (1 percent).

The full report can be studied at: http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/Survey%20data%20on%20gambling%20participation%20-%20April%202012.pdf