Approximately 4,675 adults were surveyed for the third wave of the Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), covering the three months up to the end of October. The GSGB reports that 48% of respondents gambled at some point in the previous four weeks, consistent with both the first and second quarters.
During the Betting and Gaming Council’s AGM on 27 February, Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes discussed a notable increase in activity related to free prize draws, which are not regulated under the Lotteries Act and, therefore, not featured in the data or considered gambling by law.
“We’ve witnessed significant growth in large-scale prize draws,” Rhodes told BGC members. “We’ve also seen society lottery sales surpass the £1 billion mark for the first time.”
He noted that participation in prize draw products is much higher than in other gambling products or those regulated as gambling. “It’s approaching the level of betting in terms of participation, including average spending,” Rhodes said.
Regarding the value of the GSGB data, Rhodes mentioned that these surveys, which began collecting data in 2023, provide insights into the products consumers are engaging with. “The frequency of the gambling survey for Great Britain allows us to track these movements with much greater frequency than before,” he added.
There has been ongoing debate within the industry about whether free prize draws, like those offered by some companies, should be regulated by the Gambling Commission. While those advocating for licensed lotteries argue that these products have an unfair advantage in not having to adhere to the same rules about funding charities, proponents of free prize draws believe their products are lower-risk and should not be considered gambling.
## Lottery Still Dominates in the UK
Data for Q3, released on 27 February, shows that 20% of respondents only participated in lottery draws, covering both the National Lottery and other licensed charity lottery draws, the same as in Q2. When excluding lottery-only players, the overall gambling participation was 28%, unchanged from Q2.
Again, male players aged 45 to 54 were the most active group during Q3. However, after excluding lottery-only players, the largest group was male consumers aged 25 to 34.
Overall, women were more likely to have gambled. Some 56% of the total players active in the past four weeks were women, compared to 44% men.
The National Lottery was the most popular form of gambling at 31%, ahead of charity lotteries at 16%. Next came scratch cards at 22%, then sports betting at 10%, and online instant win games at 7%.
## Non-Lottery Online Gambling Decline in Q3
Regarding how people gambled, the percentage that played online was 38%, slightly ahead of the 37% in the previous period. However, this figure drops to 15% when excluding all lottery-only players. The GSGB described this as a “significant decline” from the 17% reported in wave two, covering Q2.
For in-person activity, the participation rate decreased from 29% in wave two to 28%. When excluding all lottery-only players, the rate stood at 18%, consistent with wave two.
## Players Continue to Chase Big Wins
Regarding reasons for gambling, the main motivations remain largely unchanged among active players. Among those who gambled in the past four weeks, the most popular reason was the “chance to win big money.” Others also said they gambled because they consider it “fun.”
The next quarterly report, wave four covering the three months to December, will be released on 22 May.
The percentage of people gambling in the UK remained steady during Q3 at 48%, though Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes believes a significant increase in free prize draws could be affecting the licensed lottery sector.