In wave three of the GC’s GSGB survey, 4,675 adults were interviewed, covering the three months leading to the end of October. The GSGB noted that 48% of respondents gambled at some point in the past four weeks, consistent with trends from Q1 and Q2.
During the Betting and Gaming Council’s AGM on 27 February, Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes commented on a significant rise in activity regarding free prize draws, which are not regulated under the Lotteries Act and thus not included in the data or considered gambling by law.
“We’ve observed a significant growth in large-scale prize draws,” Rhodes mentioned to BGC members. “Additionally, society lottery sales have surpassed the £1 billion mark for the first time.”
He highlighted that prize draw products are seeing participation levels much higher than other gambling products that are regulated as gambling. “It’s nearing a level similar to betting in terms of participation and average spending,” Rhodes stated.
On the importance of GSGB data, Rhodes explained that these surveys, initiated in 2023, offer insights into which products consumers are engaging with. “The frequency of the gambling survey for Great Britain allows us to observe these movements with much greater detail and frequency than before,” he added.
There is debate within the industry about whether free prize draws, such as those by Omaze and Raffle House, should be regulated by the Gambling Commission. Proponents of licensed lotteries argue that these draws have an unfair advantage by not adhering to the same rules on funding charities, whereas advocates for free prize draws believe their products pose less risk and should not be treated as gambling.
## Lottery Still King in the UK
Data from Q3, published on 27 February, shows that 20% of respondents only participated in lottery draws, including both the National Lottery and other licensed charity lottery draws, consistent with Q2. Excluding lottery-only players, overall gambling participation was 28%, the same as in Q2.
Male players aged 45 to 54 were the most active group during Q3. However, when excluding lottery-only players, the largest group was males aged 25 to 34. Overall, women were more likely to have gambled, comprising 56% of active players in the past four weeks, compared to 44% men.
The National Lottery was the most popular form of gambling at 31%, followed by charity lotteries at 16%. Scratch cards came next at 22%, sports betting at 10%, and online instant win games at 7%.
## Non-Lottery Online Gambling Down in Q3
In terms of how people gambled, 38% played online, slightly ahead of 37% in the prior period. However, this figure drops to 15% when excluding lottery-only players. The GSGB described this as a “significant decline” from the 17% in wave two, covering Q2.
For in-person activity, the participation rate decreased from 29% in wave two to 28%. After removing lottery-only players, the rate stood at 18%, consistent with wave two.
## Players Continue to Chase Big Wins
Regarding why people gamble, motivations remain similar among active players. Of those who gambled in the past four weeks, the most common reason was the “chance to win big money,” with others citing gambling as “fun.”
The next quarterly publication—wave four covering the three months to December—will be released on 22 May.
The percentage of people gambling in the UK remained steady at 48% during Q3, although Gambling Commission (GC) CEO Andrew Rhodes believes that a notable increase in free prize draws might be affecting the licensed lottery sector.