The UK Gambling Comission has published more important findings as part of their quarterly survey’s regarding remote gambling participation in the UK. With the help of ICM Research, the Commission has been gathering data to gauge the immediate and long terms effects of a liberalized gambling sector that now includes online gambling regulation and additional terrestrial casinos.
Following the April’08 survey data, the July report shows much of the same that took place in the later third of 2007. In other words, there hasn’t been a spike in gambling activities - much to the chagrin of anti-gambling advocates who would have hoped otherwise to defend their position. Beginning in September 2007, the surveys have given the Commission sufficient information to trend quarterly data figures. And as mentioned, the trend is that gambling is under good control in the UK.
And not that it wasn’t before. But with increased casino gambling options - both online and land-based - there has been a justifiable uncertainty to a small extent. The Commission and gambling experts, however, have been confident from the very beginning. It comes down to the same words you hear online-gambling activists in the U.S. saying - with regulation comes better protection and scrutiny on the industry itself.
That said, key statistical findings in the latest survey suggest that 8.8% of UK adults participated in at least one form of remote wagering in the last year - either though a computer, mobile phone of interactive television. As mentioned, this was the same percentage in 2007, which was up from 7.2% in 2006. What is most interesting is that nearly half of this percentage was made up of adults who only participate in National Lottery games via remote means of wagering.
Demographically speaking, the average UK online bettor is an adult male between the ages of 18-44. Although no stats were specifically taken in regards to online bingo, it could be fairly assumed that female UK bettors make up the larger portion of online bingo activities. Online gambling via computer continues to remain the most popular form of remote wagering (preferred by nearly 7% of those surveyed), followed by mobile phones and interactive digital television at approximately 2%.