Participation in gambling and rates of problem gambling

Participation in gambling and rates of problem gambling 2015 February 2016

Contents § § § Participation in gambling Perceptions of gambling Problem gambling Online gambling behaviour Advertising, social media and social gaming

Introduction § This report summarises information gathered through Gambling Commission survey in the calendar year 2015 § Data has been gathered through telephone and online surveys as shown in the table below: Topic area Survey Overall gambling participation Perceptions of gambling Telephone Rates of problem gambling Online gambling behaviour Advertising, social media and social gaming Online

Key findings - participation Overall participation in gambling has fallen The fall is primarily driven by a fall in National Lottery draw play National Lottery draws, other lotteries and scratchcards most popular activities 45 -64 year olds most likely to gamble 35 -54 most likely to gamble online

Key findings – online play Laptop is the most popular device for gambling online 33% of online gamblers use a mobile / tablet 25 -34 year olds most likely to use mobile / tablet Majority gamble at home Under 35 s most likely to gamble outside the home 25% of online gamblers have bet in-play

Key findings – problem gambling Problem gambling rates amongst the population are relatively low Those aged 18 -24 are more likely to be problem gamblers Those aged under 35 are more likely to be at-risk Men are much more likely than women to be problem gamblers

OVERALL GAMBLING PARTICIPATION

Methodology – telephone survey Survey is conducted quarterly in March, June, September and December 1, 000 telephone surveys conducted per quarter Sample is nationally representative of the GB population and is weighted in terms of demographic and socio-economic indicators Results are reported on a rolling year basis to counteract seasonal trends in gambling participation Full methodological details are available in the technical annex

Overall Participation by gender Decline in participation driven by decline in National Lottery and other lottery play

Overall Participation by age

Online participation by gender

Online participation by age Those aged 35 -54 are more likely to gamble online than those aged 18 -34

Participation excluding National Lottery

Online participation excluding National Lottery

Activity participation – gambling 1 Steady decline in participation in National Lottery since the price increase to £ 2

Activity participation – gambling 2

Activity participation – betting 1

Activity participation – betting 2

In-person participation – gambling

In-person participation - betting

Online play - gambling

Online play - betting

Highest frequency of play across all activities

Highest frequency of play betting

PERCEPTIONS OF GAMBLING

Gambling is fair / can be trusted

Gambling linked to crime

PROBLEM GAMBLING

Methodology § Problem gambling status was defined using the short-form Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) § The screen was developed from the full 9 -item PGSI § The screen is formed of three questions: § Have you bet more than you could really afford to lose? § Have people criticised your betting or told you that you have a gambling problem? § Have you felt guilty about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble?

Methodology – screen scoring § For each question respondents select on a range from never – sometimes – most of the time – almost always § Responses are scored from 0 – 3 meaning the total possible score is 9 § The table below shows how respondents are categorised based on their score: Score Categorisation 0 Non- problem gambler 1 Low-risk gambler 2 -3 Moderate-risk gambler 4+ Problem gambler

Low-risk gamblers by gender

Low-risk gamblers by age

Moderate-risk gamblers by gender

Moderate-risk gamblers by age

Problem gamblers by gender

Problem gamblers by age

ONLINE GAMBLING BEHAVIOUR

Methodology – online survey Survey is conducted quarterly in March, June, September and December 2, 000 online surveys conducted per quarter Sample is drawn from 50% panel and 50% fresh sampling Data are weighted in terms of demographic and socio-economic indicators to reflect GB population Results are reported on a rolling year basis to counteract seasonal trends in gambling participation Full methodological details are available in the technical annex

Devices used - overall

Devices used by age

Devices used by gender

Devices used – gambling 1

Devices used – gambling 2

Devices used – betting 1

Devices used – betting 2

Reasons for device selection PC “I need the keyboard and mouse to input accurate stakes in a timely fashion” “I use it for other things and therefore have it on more than any other medium” “Because it's easier to complete the purchasing forms on a PC, as opposed to a mobile device”

Reasons for device selection Mobile “Easy to do when you have the appespecially when you are with friends at the pub” “It is more flexible and can be used in any location “ “I usually watch the sports I'm betting on on TV so its easier to bet on the phone”

Reasons for device selection Tablet “Can watch and interact at the same time to gain more insights and real time information” “It's always with me so I often play during lunch hours or when I'm killing time in a coffee shop or pub” “Bigger screen than the mobile and always with me”

Location of play - overall

Location of play by age

Location of play by gender

Location of play – gambling 1

Location of play – gambling 2

Location of play – betting 1

Location of play – betting 2

Betting in-play Overall 25% of online gamblers had bet in-play

Betting in-play

Average number of accounts

Number of accounts by age

Number of accounts by gender

SOCIAL MEDIA, ADVERTISING AND SOCIAL GAMING

Social media platforms 26% follow gambling companies on social media

Following gambling companies on social media by age

Advertising prompting spend 32% had been prompted by free bets / bonuses to gamble

Social gaming 27% have ever played social games

Next steps § Enhancements to the telephone participation survey for 2016: § Additional machines categories to ascertain location of play § Addition of football and tennis betting categories § Expansion of perceptions questions to gather further detail on attitudes to gambling § PGSI mini-screen data published quarterly § Testing of increased % of mobile sample to better reflect the population with commencement of higher proportion in 2017

Future publications Publication Quarterly participation data and PGSI mini-screen data Date April 2016 July 2016 October 2016 Problem gambling rates in Wales 2015 May 2016 Industry Statistics to September 2015 June 2016 Scottish Health Survey 2015 September 2016 Health Survey England 2015 December 2016 Industry Statistics to March 2016 November 2016