During wave three of the GC’s Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), 4,675 adults were surveyed over the three months leading up to the end of October. The GSGB indicates that 48% of respondents had engaged in gambling activities during the previous four weeks, maintaining the trend observed in both Q1 and Q2.
At the Betting and Gaming Council’s AGM on February 27, Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes commented on a notable increase in participation in free prize draws, which are not regulated under the Lotteries Act and are not legally considered gambling.
“We’ve observed a significant growth in large-scale prize draws,” Rhodes mentioned to BGC members.
“We’ve also seen society lottery sales exceed the £1 billion mark for the first time.”
Rhodes pointed out that prize draw products have reached a participation level significantly higher than other gambling or regulated gambling products.
“It’s approaching a level similar to betting in terms of both participation and average spending,” Rhodes commented.
Regarding the value of the GSGB data, Rhodes mentioned these surveys, gathering data since 2023, offer insights into consumer engagement with various products.
“The frequency of the gambling survey for Great Britain allows us to track these changes more frequently and accurately than before,” he added.
There is ongoing debate within the industry about whether free prize draws should fall under the Gambling Commission’s regulation.
Proponents of licensed lotteries argue that these prize draws have an unfair edge by not following the same charity funding regulations. Meanwhile, supporters of free prize draws maintain their products pose lower risks and shouldn’t be classified as gambling.
## Lottery Still King in the UK
Data for Q3, published on February 27, shows 20% of respondents participated only in lottery draws, including the National Lottery and licensed charity draws, consistent with Q2 figures. Excluding lottery-only players, overall gambling participation was 28%, the same as in Q2.
During Q3, male participants aged 45 to 54 were the most active group. However, excluding lottery-only players, the largest group was males aged 25 to 34.
Overall, women were more likely to have gambled, with 56% of active players in the past four weeks being women compared to 44% men.
The National Lottery was the most popular gambling form at 31%, followed by charity lotteries at 16%. Scratch cards accounted for 22%, sports betting 10%, and online instant win games 7%.
## Non-Lottery Online Gambling Down in Q3
Regarding gambling methods, online participation was 38%, slightly higher than the previous period’s 37%.
However, this number falls to 15% when excluding lottery-only players. The GSGB described this as a “significant decline” from the 17% reported in wave two, covering the Q2 period.
For in-person activity, participation declined from 29% in wave two to 28%. Excluding lottery-only players, the rate remained at 18%, consistent with wave two.
## Players Continue to Chase Big Wins
When examining the reasons people gamble, the primary motivation continues to be the “chance to win big money.” Others said they gamble because they find it “fun.”
The next quarterly release, wave four, covering the three months up to December, is scheduled for publication on May 22.
The UK’s gambling participation rate remained stable during Q3 at 48%. However, Gambling Commission (GC) CEO Andrew Rhodes suggests that a notable increase in free prize draws could potentially impact the licensed lottery sector.