The UK Gambling Commission has released its latest Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), examining participation rates from January 15 to April 28, 2023. The findings reveal that overall gambling participation has remained stable compared to the previous year, with a significant portion of participants engaging in non-lottery activities.
Despite a slight increase in the survey sample size—from 4,801 participants last year to 5,191 this year—overall participation stayed flat at 48%. When excluding lottery activities, participation dropped to 27%. Online gambling, specifically via desktop or mobile apps, accounted for 16% of participants in the past month, with men (20%) showing a greater preference than women (13%). Notably, men aged 35 to 44 exhibited the highest online gambling rates at 29%.
In-person gambling maintained a participation rate of 29%, unchanged from last year. When focusing only on non-lottery participants, this rate decreased to 18%. Gender distribution showed men slightly ahead, with 51% having gambled in the past month, compared to 45% of women. Excluding lottery, participation rates for men fell to 30% and to 24% for women.
While lottery games dominated the gambling landscape—boasting a 32% participation rate—other forms of betting were less prominent. Charity lottery draws followed at 16%. Sports betting, both online and offline, saw a slight decrease to 9%, while casino games held steady at 3%. Slots drew a 4% participation rate overall.
When asked about their motivations for gambling, a substantial 85% cited the desire to win significant money, and 71% expressed enjoyment in the activity. The thrill of betting attracted 53%, while 57% mentioned making money as a key reason, a slight decline from 59% the previous year.
In terms of sentiment, 37% of participants rated their feelings towards gambling as neutral, assigning a score of 5. When excluding lottery considerations, this number shifted to 32%, with only 5% rating their experiences as perfect.
Football emerged as the leading sport for betting, with 7% of respondents participating, followed by horseracing and greyhound racing at 4%. Both figures matched last year’s data.
Overall, the latest GSGB survey underscores a steady gambling landscape in the UK, highlighting a diverse range of activities and motivations among participants.
