The Gambling Commission has initiated what is projected to be the world’s most expansive gambling survey, setting a new standard for comprehending gambling behaviors in Britain. This groundbreaking survey, involving a collaboration between the National Centre for Social Research and the University of Glasgow, has released its inaugural annual report.

Detailed findings and expanded scope:

The first UKGC annual report captures responses from 9,804 individuals, with expectations to expand to approximately 20,000 participants by the next year. This extensive study provides a deeper understanding of the public’s gambling attitudes and behaviors, detailing participation rates, the varieties of gambling activities, and the motivations behind gambling, as well as its repercussions on gamblers and their close associates.

Tim Miller, Executive Director of Research and Policy, elaborated on the significance of this initiative, stating, “One of our aims as a regulator is to ensure we gather the best possible evidence on gambling – and today’s publication is the next significant step forward in our journey on creating a robust source of evidence for gambling in Great Britain.”

He added, “Data in this report represents the first year of a new baseline, against which future changes can be compared, and as such will prove invaluable in deepening further our understanding of gambling across the country.”

Professor Patrick Sturgis from the London School of Economics commended the new survey’s design, noting its potential to significantly enrich the evidence base concerning gambling patterns and trends. “With an annual sample size of 20,000 individual interviews across the nations and regions of Great Britain, the survey will provide researchers and policy makers with fine-grained and timely data across a broad range of key indicators,” Professor Sturgis explained in the Gambling Commission’s press release.

He further highlighted the methodology, “Using a push-to-web mixed mode design and random probability sampling from the Postcode Address File, the survey implements state-of-the-art methodology to a very high standard.”

The Commission is also taking steps to ensure the new data is interpreted accurately and responsibly, publishing guidelines on how to appropriately analyze these statistics. It is emphasized that estimates from this survey are not directly comparable with those from previous surveys due to methodological differences, including the increased sample size.

Key insights on gambling participation:

The survey revealed that 48% of adults aged 18 and over engaged in some form of gambling in the past four weeks. However, when excluding those only participating in lottery draws, the rate drops to 27%. Males were more likely to gamble than females, with participation rates of 52% and 44%, respectively.

Regarding their most recent gambling experiences, 41% of adults who gambled in the past year reported positive feelings, while 21% had negative impressions, and 37% remained neutral. The primary motivations cited for gambling included the thrill of potentially winning big (86%), entertainment (70%), earning money (58%), and the excitement it brings (55%).

Moreover, the survey found that male participants and those aged 18 to 34 were more likely to exhibit higher Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) scores. Participants engaging in betting on non-sports events in person or online slots exhibited significantly higher PGSI scores, indicating a higher risk of gambling-related problems compared to the broader gambling population.