UKGC releases annual report on gambling participation, 2018

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has released its annual report on gambling participation in 2018 covering awareness, behaviour and attitudes.

The datasets were gathered by Populus via a combination of telephone and online surveys with people aged 16 and over. Key findings of the survey include:

Gambling participation was up 1 to 46 per cent of respondents who participated in any form of gambling.

Excluding the National Lottery, 32 per cent had participated, again up one per cent compared to December 2017.

Online gambling was flat with 18 per cent of respondents having gambled online.

55 per cent of online gamblers did so utilise a mobile phone or tablet.

23 per cent of online gamblers had bet in-play.

1.5 per cent had played on FOBT machines in a retail bookmaker (2017: 1.4 per cent).

0.7 per cent of the sample were classified as problem gamblers, 1.1 per cent as moderate-risk gamblers and 2.4 per cent as low-risk gamblers.

6 per cent of the sample had ever self-excluded.

Only 30 per cent perceived gambling as fair and felt they could trust the industry, while 38 per cent believe gambling is associated with crime.