A new report by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC,)—the first since 2010—shows that Great Britain now has about 430,000 problem gamblers, a third more than it had three years ago.
The report by UKGC is titled “Gambling Behavior in Great Britain 2015,” and it is a comprehensive study on gambling trends. It examines rates of participation, at-risk gambling and problem gambling. It also looks at characteristics and behaviors.
The 430,000 problem gamblers made up 4 percent of the total of all gamblers, and made up 0.8 percent of the population as a whole. The at-risk population was judged to be 6.4 percent or 3.9 percent of the population. This is no change from the rate in 2012.
The report showed that frequent gamblers tended more to have a problem with the activity compared to those who had just played one time. It found that problem gamblers make up a larger percentage of pub and club patrons, 15.9 percent, than the at large population. For online casino and slots gaming players, that percentage is 10.6 percent.
The report also indicated that nearly two thirds of the population of 16 and over adults have gambled in the last year. Men are slightly more likely to play than women, 66 percent compared to 59 percent with the most popular gaming activities being the National Lottery at 46 percent and scratch cards at 23 percent.
Middle aged groups were more likely to participate than younger groups.
The report also found that employed people (69 percent) were slightly more likely to gamble than the unemployed or retired at 56 percent and 57 percent respectively.
It found evidence of an increase in addiction among those who play fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) a controversial form of gaming because it allows patrons to spend as much as £100 every 20 seconds.
UKGC Executive Director Tim Miller commented, “For many, gambling is an enjoyable leisure activity. But for some people gambling can become a problem with serious consequences for them, their families and their communities.”
While noting that the statistics have remained stable, Miller said two million UK residents are either at risk or classified as problem gamblers, and that those impacted by those people are an even larger group.
Miller added that it was important for the government to take steps to ensure that gambling is “fairer and safer” and to protect consumers. He concluded, “The pace of change to date simply hasn’t been fast enough- more needs to be done to address problem gambling.”
Sir Chris Kelly, chairman of the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, which advises the UKGC, said, “These new findings show that gambling continues to cause harm to a significant number of people in Great Britain. They underline the importance of the National Responsible Gambling Strategy being pursued with vigor by everyone with a role to play in its delivery.”
Several months ago, the UK government delayed issuing a report whether to crack down on FOBTs and to limit TV gambling ads.
The Campaign for Fairer Gambling supports setting a celling of FOBT of £2. In response to the report it declared: “The increased rate of problematic gambling associated with FOBTs should alarm policymakers.”
The Association of British Bookmakers doesn’t credit the notion that FOBTs encourage addition. FOBTs account for more than 50 percent of bookmakers’ annual income. The association issued this statement: “Seeking to ban a single gambling product will simply lead to the shifting of problem gamblers to other areas rather than addressing the root cause of the issue.”
The Chancellor of the Exchequer reportedly opposes setting a maximum stake for FOBTs because of the effect it would have on tax revenues.
