UK Gambling Commission Publishes In-Depth Annual Report

The Gambling Commission has released its first annual report from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, marking a significant milestone in understanding gambling behavior in the country. Conducted by the National Centre for Social Research and the University of Glasgow, this comprehensive survey will become one of the largest of its kind globally, eventually including responses from around 20,000 participants.

Survey Insights and Findings

The inaugural report features responses from 9,804 individuals, offering a detailed look into gambling attitudes and behaviors across Great Britain. This new baseline will serve as a reference point for future comparisons, providing invaluable data on participation rates, types of gambling activities, motivations, and the impact of gambling on individuals and their communities.

Tim Miller, Executive Director of Research and Policy at the Gambling Commission, stated, “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.”

Enhanced Methodology and Broader Scope

Professor Patrick Sturgis from the London School of Economics highlighted the survey's advanced design: “The new design of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain will significantly enhance the evidence base on patterns and trends in gambling behavior. With an annual sample size of 20,000 individual interviews, the survey will provide researchers and policymakers with fine-grained and timely data across a broad range of key indicators.”

The survey employs a push-to-web mixed-mode design and random probability sampling, ensuring high standards in data collection. This methodology involves selected households receiving postal invitations to participate online, supplemented by paper questionnaires for those preferring offline responses.

Key findings from the report include:

• 48% of adults aged 18 and over participated in some form of gambling in the past four weeks.
• Excluding lottery draws, gambling participation stood at 27%.
• Male participants (52%) were more likely than females (44%) to have gambled in the past four weeks.
• Among those who gambled in the past 12 months, 41% rated their experience positively, while 21% gave a negative rating and 37% remained neutral.

The primary motivations for gambling included the chance of winning big money (86%), fun (70%), making money (58%), and excitement (55%).

Consequences and Concerns

The survey also examined the consequences of gambling. It found that male participants and those aged 18 to 34 had higher Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) scores. Specifically, the proportion of participants with a PGSI score of 8 or more was significantly higher among those betting on non-sports events and online slots.

The report emphasizes the need for careful interpretation of these findings due to the potential overstatement of gambling harm prevalence caused by the new survey methodology. Professor Sturgis noted that while 2.5% of respondents had a PGSI score of 8 or more, this statistic should not be used to generalize problem gambling rates across the entire population.

Guidance and Future Use

To ensure accurate use of the new data, the UKGC has published guidance on interpreting these statistics, noting that the new methodology and sample size differences make direct comparisons with previous surveys inappropriate.

As the survey expands, it will provide an even more comprehensive understanding of gambling behavior in Great Britain, aiding in the development of informed policies and interventions to address gambling-related issues effectively.

Source:

First Gambling Survey for Great Britain Annual Report published, gamblingcommission.gov.uk, July 25, 2024.