YouGov: One in five punters gamble to make money

One in five punters gamble as a means of making money, according to a new survey carried out by YouGov, with campaigners arguing the results show the industry needs to do more to educate punters.

Twenty-two percent of survey respondents to the YouGov survey said they gambled to make money, while 51% of respondents said they did so for fun, enjoyment or as a sociable activity.

The poll covered 2,006 UK adults in August, asking questions specifically tailored toward gambling messaging and motivation for gambling amongst players.

The survey was commissioned in conjunction with Responsible Gambling Week, taking place between 7-13 November.

John Hagan, chair of the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling, said the results highlighted the importance of educating everyone about the importance of safer gambling, including those who think the messages do not apply to them.

“Most people gamble responsibly and purely for enjoyment, but we want safer gambling messages, such as setting time limits or spending limits, to become as instinctive as putting on a seatbelt when you get into your car,” Hagan added.

In addition to analysing the motivations behind gambling, researchers also surveyed the relevance of Responsible Gambling week messaging. Of the six slogans being used, ‘Only spend what you can afford’ was deemed the most relevant by 55% of respondents, while ‘Set your limits’ was relevant to 40% of survey participants.

‘Never chase your losses’, ‘Gambling is not the answer to any problem’ and ‘Gambling shouldn’t interfere with personal relationships’ were among the next slogans deemed most relevant to participants, with 39%, 36% and 32% of respondents respectively.

The final slogan ‘Gambling when angry or upset is not a good idea’, was deemed most relevant to only 30% of survey respondents.