New data sheds light on gambling habits of UK problem gamblers
National Gambling Treatment Service report reveals online accounts for 69% of problem gambling activity
Online gambling was the most common source of problem gambling activity in the UK last year, according to new data released on the National Gambling Treatment Service (NGTS) by GambleAware.
Of the 9,008 at-risk individuals utilising the NGTS between April 2019 and March 2020, 69% said they gambled online, with 58% confirming online was their main source of gambling.
Gambling in retail bookmaker premises was the next most popular method used by NGTS users, accounting for 38% of responses, with 9% of respondents claiming they had gambled in a land-based casino.
Of those online gamblers, 26% listed online slots as their main gambling activity, narrowly beating sports betting, which accounted for a quarter of NGTS users using online gambling sites.
Online table games such as roulette or blackjack was the next most popular activity among online gamblers using the NGTS service, accounting for 18% of respondents.
Online horseracing betting and bingo rounded out the top five online gambling verticals used by NGTS users, accounting for 9% and 2% respectively.
Of those NGTS users gambling online, 76% were between 25-29, with rates of gambling online most popular among individuals aged between 20 and 39.
Three quarters of people utilising the NGTS service were male, with almost 90% coming from a white ethnic background.
The study found that 71% of respondents had been in debt due to gambling, while 12% had experienced job losses and 26% had lost relationships.
On average, treatment service users spent £2,102 in the 30 days prior to their initial assessment.
The full report can be viewed here.
“The publication of this detailed analysis, of the impact the National Gambling Treatment Service can have on people receiving support, is a significant milestone,” GambleAware CEO Marc Etches said.
“GambleAware commissioned ViewItUK to independently collate and analyse output and outcome data, which will allow GambleAware to rigorously evaluate these outcomes on the basis of robust and comparable evidence.
“We are committed to informing the development of best practice and outstanding care for those experiencing gambling harms in Great Britain, and the data reporting system we are pioneering is designed to be made available to the NHS, Public Health, local authorities and other statutory and voluntary sector agencies to meet the needs of local communities,” Etches added.