Poll results: More must be done to attract younger players
Majority of respondents to this week's poll believe operators are failing to appeal to young adults
Operators and the wider industry must do more to appeal to the younger generation of potential online gamblers, according to the results of this week’s EGR poll.
Following the release of a Gambling Commission-commissioned poll last week, which showed the participation rate of 18-24 year-olds in Britain had declined from 17% to 10% in two years, we asked whether enough was being done to attract the younger pound.
Sixty percent of respondents said operators needed to do more to reach out to the younger generation, with a failure to do so potentially having longer-term impacts on the industry.
While rates among 18-24 year-olds fell, participation among older age brackets increased, with the 45-54 range now the most engaged demographic.
The numbers suggest operators are, consciously or not, appealing to a more mature audience with those in the higher age brackets likely to be more settled in life and with more disposable income.
And 40% of respondents said operators’ focus should be on the more affluent, older generation rather than the younger age group which has less propensity to spend.