The UK Gambling Commission has released its quarterly survey results. The gambling regulator which currently only oversees UK based gambling operator’s, targets two groups in its surveys: gambling as a whole and remote gambling. The first set of questions measures participation in all types of gambling (including remote means) and the second set looks at participation in remote gambling (computer, mobile phone or interactive / /digital TV).

Key findings suggest gambling has increased. Overall gambling had been static for two years but increased by 2% over the last year. With the economic difficulties this could suggest people are turning to gambling hoping to improve their financial difficulties. Remote gambling as would be expected with the improvements in technology and affordability of the technology has increased year on year.

All gambling participation (including by remote means)

• Over the year to September 2011 (that is, an average of figures for December

2010, March 2011, June 2011 and September 2011), 57.1% 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 57.1% compares with the 2010 calendar year figure of 55.5% and the

2009 calendar year figure of 55.2%.

• The most popular gambling activity was National Lottery tickets (47.0% of

respondents), followed by National Lottery scratchcards (11.6%) and tickets for

society or other good cause lotteries (10.5%). Betting on horse races, gambling on

fruit or slot machines, buying bingo cards or tickets at a bingo hall, and private

betting with family, friends or colleagues were the next most popular activities

(4.6%, 3.5%, 3.2% and 3.2% respectively).

• Those participating in gambling were more likely to be male than female, and were

more likely to be aged over 45.

Remote gambling participation

• Over the year to September 2011 (that is, an average of figures for December

2010, March 2011, June 2011 and September 2011), 11.9% 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 11.9% compares with the 2010 calendar year figure of 11.1%, the

2009 calendar year figure of 10.5%, the 2008 calendar year figure of 9.7%, the

2007 calendar year figure of 8.8% and the 2006 calendar year figure of 7.2%.

• 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, 5.6% of respondents had participated in

remote gambling in the year to September 2011, compared with the figure of 5.7%

in 2010, 5.7% in 2009, 5.6% in 2008, 5.2% in 2007 and 5.1% in 2006.

• Overall, in the year to September 2011, 9.5% 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

(10.6% of all respondents), followed by gambling via mobile phone (2.9%) and

interactive/digital TV (1.5%).