Latest Survey Reveals Gambling Participation Remains Steady in Great Britain

_{Gambling highest among males aged 45 to 64 (Image: Andrew Hasson/Alamy)}

The casino industry will survey the Gambling Commission’s latest release which reports  the latest findings from its Gambling Survey for Great Britain, conducted by NatCen, revealing that gambling participation among adults remains consistent.

The survey, which sampled 4,657 individuals aged 18 and over, reports an overall gambling participation rate of 48 percent over the past month, mirroring figures from 2023 and earlier this year.

A notable finding from the report indicates that one in five respondents (20 percent) participated exclusively in lottery draws, including both National Lottery and various charity lotteries. When these lottery-only participants are filtered out, the overall gambling participation rate drops to 28 percent.

Gambling Highest Among Males 45 to 64

The demographic data shows that while gambling participation is highest among males aged 45 to 64, excluding those who only engaged in lottery draws shifts the age profile younger, with males aged 25 to 34 exhibiting the highest participation rates.

Online gambling continues to be a significant segment, with a participation rate of 37 percent reported. However, this number declines to 17 percent when excluding those who only take part in lottery draws, underscoring the prevalence of lottery participation among online gamblers. 

In contrast, in-person gambling participation stands at 29 percent, dropping to 18 percent when focusing solely on non-lottery activities.

The Dominance of Lottery 

Lotteries dominate the gambling landscape, with 31 percent of respondents taking part in National Lottery draws and 16 percent in other charity lotteries in the past four weeks. Other popular gambling activities include scratchcards and betting, each enjoyed by 12 percent of participants, followed by online instant win games at 7 percent. 

Interestingly, participation in betting has increased by over three percentage points compared to the previous reporting wave.

Respondents cited "the chance to win big money" and "the fun of gambling" as their primary motivations for participating in gambling activities.

It's essential to note that these statistics should be viewed with the understanding that the methodology employed in this year’s survey differs from previous ones, making direct comparisons difficult. The next wave of the Gambling Survey is anticipated to be released on February 27, 2025, offering further insights into trends and changes in gambling behaviours.

As the Gambling Commission continues to monitor and analyse gambling participation, these findings will serve as a crucial resource for understanding the habits and motivations behind gambling in Great Britain.