In the third wave of the GC’s GSGB survey, conducted over three months until the end of October, 4,675 adults were surveyed. The GSGB reported that 48% of respondents had gambled at some point in the previous four weeks, maintaining consistency with Q1 and Q2.
During the Betting and Gaming Council’s AGM on 27 February, Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes commented on a notable rise in activity on free prize draws, which, not being regulated under the Lotteries Act, are neither featured in the data nor considered gambling by law.
“We’ve seen the growth of large-scale prize draws, and that growth has been very significant,” Rhodes told BGC members. “We’ve also seen society lottery sales surpass the £1 billion mark for the first time.”
He noted that prize draw products are seeing participation levels much higher than other gambling products or those regulated as gambling. “It’s getting close to being on a par with betting in terms of participation, and also in terms of the average spending,” Rhodes said.
Regarding the value of the GSGB data, Rhodes mentioned that these surveys, collecting data since 2023, provide insights into which products consumers engage 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 has been some debate within the industry about whether free prize draws, like those offered by companies such as Omaze and Raffle House, should be regulated by the Gambling Commission. Those supporting licensed lotteries believe these products have an unfair advantage by not adhering to the same charity funding rules, while those in favor of free prize draws argue that their products are lower risk and should not be considered gambling.
### Lottery Still King 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, 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 in Q3. However, excluding lottery-only players, the largest group was male consumers aged 25 to 34.
Overall, women were more likely to have gambled, making up 56% of active players in the past four weeks compared to 44% men. The National Lottery was the most popular form of gambling by a significant margin at 31%, followed by charity lotteries at 16%. Scratch cards came next at 22%, then sports betting at 10%, and online instant win games at 7%.
### Non-Lottery Online Gambling Down in Q3
Regarding how people gambled, 38% played online, slightly up from 37% in the previous period. However, this figure drops to 15% when excluding lottery-only players. The GSGB described this as a “significant decline” from the 17% reported in the Q2 period.
In-person activity participation decreased from 29% in wave two to 28%. Excluding all lottery-only players, the rate was 18%, consistent with wave two.
### Players Continue to Chase Big Wins
When considering why people gamble, 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 said they gambled because they view it 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 flat during Q3 at 48%. However, Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes believes that a significant increase in free prize draws might be affecting the licensed lottery sector.