This is the first year when we have witnessed a movement towards more favourable attitudes of gambling, the UKGC says.
Last year, the UK saw continued Covid restrictions with various lockdown rules and limitations. It also brought around a more comprehensive consumer behavioural change, which has impacted the gambling sector.
Surprising Numbers
One of the UKGC's latest surveys of problem gambling had revealed that the rate had halved in the past year, from 0.6% to 0.3%, its lowest ever level. They also carried out a quarterly telephone survey, conducted by Yonder Consulting, which further indicated a slowdown in gambling frequency.
UK Gambling Commission research notes the public's perception of the betting and gaming business is softening (UKGC).
Per the survey results, public opinion on gambling in the United Kingdom has improved compared to prior years. This is the first year when we have witnessed a movement towards more favourable attitudes of gambling, the UKGC says.
- The regulator discovered that 30% of respondents agreed that the betting sector is trustworthy and that gaming is conducted fairly.
- Gamblers and non-gamblers have different opinions: while the former have more positive attitudes than the latter — "36% of gamblers agreed that gambling was fair and trustworthy, an increase on the 32% the previous year".
- The percentage of respondents who think that "gambling should be discouraged" dropped from 63% to 59%.
- Although 70% say gambling is harmful to family life, this is a decline from the previous year's figure of 75%.
- The commission also concluded that significantly fewer gamblers were gambling once a week, and a more significant percentage were gambling less than once a month, compared to 2020.
Rates Remain Stable
The survey, conducted during the pandemic, involved a nationally representative sample of 4,021 adults aged 16 or over. The calls were carried out in March, June, September and December 2021, and statistics showed that there had not been a return to pre-Covid participation rates, illustrating the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
UKGC statistics showed that there had not been a return to pre-Covid participation rates.
It showed that overall participation that involved gambling activity during the weeks before were statistically stable compared to the previous year.
The overall gambling rate in Dec 2021 was statistically stable at 0.3%, compared to 2020. More great news followed as moderate and low-risk rates also remained stable at 0.8% and 1.9%, respectively.
Overall Perception Improves
The UKGC were able to report, for the first year, that they had seen a switch towards more positive perceptions of gambling. Gamblers who agreed that gambling is conducted fairly and trustworthy saw a significant increase from 32% to 36% in December 2021.
This was further supported by fewer respondents (70%) agreeing that 'gambling is dangerous for family life' compared to 75% in 2020. Finally, the percentage of respondents that agreed 'gambling should be discouraged' had decreased from 63% to 59%.
The UKGC also noted that some Covid-19 restrictions varied across the different nations in the UK at the time of the telephone surveys.
