According to the latest figures published by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), the reputation of the sector related to fairness continued to become worse with the wider public.
The major regulatory body of the local gambling industry has recently issued a report regarding gambling participation in 2018, revealing that only 30% of the participants considered gambling a fair activity that can be trusted. The figure represented a 3% decline from the previous year, and more than 18% drop in comparison to the result a decade ago. Furthermore, the report also revealed that 38% of people who took part in the survey thought gambling was associated with some type of criminal activity, which also represented a 3% decline from their number in 2017.
As revealed by the UKGC, a gambling operator’s fairness and trustworthiness, as well as the best odds, were the leading factors which were considered by local gamblers when choosing a company to bet with. As confirmed by a spokesman of the Commission, responsible gambling companies which provide excellent customer service would have an advantage over their competitors.
The spokesman of the gambling regulatory body also shared that fairness, safety and trust are vital to the Commission, which has been focused on making the local gambling industry fairer and safer for all.
Image source: UK Gambling Commission
Online and Mobile Gambling Rises in 2018, the Commission Says
The survey was carried out by telephone and online by Populus, a market research company.
A total of 79% of the respondents shared that in their opinion, there were too many opportunities for gambling up to date, with 71% of the participants also saying that gambling is dangerous for entire family’s well-being. Despite that, 62% of the people surveyed said that people had the right to gamble whenever they want.
According to the research findings, the overall gambling participation rates had remained almost unchanged, with 46% of the individuals over 16 years of age who took part in the survey revealing that they have participated in at least one form of gambling over the four weeks preceding the research.
Undoubtedly, the National Lottery is still the most popular gambling activity in the UK, with 28% of the survey participants saying they have bought a National Lottery ticket. Scratchcards and other lotteries closely followed the National Lottery popularity. When it comes to sports betting, football and horse racing were the most popular betting activities, being chosen by 5.7% and 3.8%, respectively, by the people surveyed.
A significant 5% increase to 44% in mobile phones use in online gambling was also registered, according to the Commission’s latest survey report. A total of 55% of the research participants who gambled online have used a mobile device for doing that in the past four weeks. A massive 10% increase to 55% was also marked in the number of people betting on horseracing online. In comparison, there was a 38% engagement rate in 2015.
- Author
Daniel Williams
