A survey by YouGov commissioned by charity GambleAware has found that gambling has declined in the UK during Covid-19 lockdowns.’
The survey of 12,161 participants was carried out first between September 24 and October 13.
Overall, gambling participation fell significantly from 49 percent in October 2019 to 39 percent in May 2020, the survey found. Only 4 percent of respondents to the survey said they gambled more during lockdown than before, while 41 percent said they gambled less and 52 percent said their gambling levels were roughly unchanged.
Players who were classed as at risk of problem gambling or as problem gamblers in May were more likely to have gambled more than non-problem players. For those who showed low risks, 9 percent gambled more and 50 percent gambled less, while for medium-risk players, 12 percent gambled more and 46 percent less, the study found.
As for amounts wagered, 41 percent of respondents said they spent less on gambling and 51 percent said they spent about the same.
The National Lottery remained the most popular form of gambling, but the percentage of people who played t declined from 36 percent to just 27 percent. Online football betting saw a sharp decrease in number of people betting, from 6 percent of the sample to 3 percent, while online racing betting fell from 3 percent to 1 percent and other online sports betting fell from 2 percent to 1 percent. Retail betting on each category fell from 1 percent of the sample to 0 percent with the closure of retail venues, the study found.
Online casinos, however, saw an increase in play, from 1.5 percent to 2.3 percent.
YouGov said that while it may not be possible to definitively link the decline in gambling to lockdown, it is “reasonable to conclude that some of the changes observed are the direct result” of the pandemic and lockdown. It added that repeating the study again could create interesting findings about the effects of easing lockdown measures.
Meanwhile, GambleAware revealed it had received £2.29 million (US$2.96 million) in voluntary donations from the industry between April and September. The amount, which included the first two quarters of 2020, did not cover regulatory settlements and donations such as the request from those who profit from gambling to contribute at least 0.1 percent of their annual gross gambling yield.
Gamesys donated £450,000 of the total figure, Betway £134,000, and 888 Holdings, £50,000, among other contributions. William Hill pledged £1 million, while Praesepe Holdings pledged £85,500. The list includes only those who pledged directly to GambleAware, as operators are able to donate to other organizations, according to Gambling Insider.
GambleAware also collected £8.8 million in regulatory settlements during the period. These included £3 million from William Hill and £5.8 million from Betway.
