Based on a larger sample size of 5,191, the survey found that gambling participation was level with the same period last year at 48 per cent. 

The most popular gambling verticals in Britain

The National Lottery remained the most popular form of gambling with a participation rate of 32 per cent. Excluding lottery draws, the combined gambling participation rate across other verticals was 27 per cent.

The second most popular vertical was charity lottery draws with a 16 per cent participation rate. This was followed by sports betting at 9 per cent, a drop of 1 per cent year-on-year. Casino game participation (both online and land-based) was level at 3 per cent while slots (including retail) had a 4 per cent participation.

Within sports betting, football was the most popular market, accounting for 7 per cent, followed by horseracing and greyhound racing (4 per cent participation). The results here were the same as last year. The participation rate for all in-person gambling combined was also level at 29 per cent (18 per cent excluding lottery draws). 

Some 51 per cent of men had gambled in the prior four weeks compared to 45 per cent of women (30 per cent and 24 per cent excluding lottery).

Among men, 20 per cent preferred online gambling, compared to 13 per cent of women. The demographic that most gambled online (excluding lottery) was men aged between 35 and 44 with a 29 per cent participation rate. When including lottery, men aged 45 to 54 was the demographic with the highest rate of participation (60 per cent). For women, the highest participation rate (excluding lottery) was observed among those aged 35 to 44.

Why people gamble

According to the Gambling Commission survey results, 85 per cent of respondents said they gambled to to “win big money” and 71 per cent did so fun, demonstrating an overlap of motivations. Some 53 per cent cited the excitement of betting and 57 per cent gambled to make money, a drop from 59 per cent last year.

As for feelings about gambling, 37 per cent of respondents rated their feelings as 5 out of 10. Again, the results were much in line with last year.

Gambling Commission delays new direct marketing rule

The Gambling Commission has put back the introduction of a new rule on direct marketing by consent. The update has been delayed because operators raised concerns that the wording was unclear.

The original wording of the update of Social Responsibility Code section 5.1.12 in the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) gave the impression that operators could have to deny access to services to players who had already opted in until they set marketing preferences. Operators were also in doubt as to whether they could transfer existing customer preferences.

The regulator has put back the implementation of the new rule to May 1 2025 instead of January 17. The regulator has also confirmed that existing customer preferences can be transferred but only after a player has opted in to direct marketing for specific products and through specific channels. Players must be given the opportunity to update their preferences when they log in from May 1.

Meanwhile, the Gambling Commission has started its pilot of financial risk assessments for online gambling. The pilot of frictionless “light touch” checks forms part of a four-stage plan and will see checks initially tested for customer accounts that receive deposits of over £500 a month.