One in 40 Britons are problem gamblers, according to new research published by the Gambling Commission following an overhaul of its data collection process.
The commission began reviewing its data collection methods in 2020 as it plans a major gambling research project in the UK.
Since then, we’ve been working with our partners to improve how we invite people to participate and how they ask questions. Among other changes, gambling behavior across the UK is now collected using push-to-web survey techniques. This replaces the long-standing practice of telephone survey data collection.
The figures released this week are based on a survey of 4,000 people conducted in April and May. More than half of respondents were found to have gambled in the previous month. The study suggested that 2.5% of those who took the quiz had a score of 8 or higher on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) screen. This would classify them as problem gamblers. Additionally he has a score of 3.5% which makes him a medium risk gambler. The Committee acknowledged that studies focusing on online self-completion have consistently produced higher estimates of gambling harm.
The report also highlights the most popular activities to participate in over the past four weeks. These were the National Lottery (32%), the Charity Lottery (15%) and the National Lottery scratchcard (13%).
The committee said that due to changes in methodology, these new findings cannot be compared with previous studies. It also said these “empirical” figures should not be seen as a replacement for current official statistics.
How the Commission revamped gambling data collection
Over the past three years, the European Commission has sought to improve the process through consultations, studies and workshop sessions. Earlier this year, we published a paper on evidence gaps and priorities for the three-year period 2023-2026. This study focused on regulatory areas that require evidence-based development.
Following the publication of the new figures, the commission said the experimental phase of the project had been completed.
“This project is one of the ways the Commission is seeking to improve understanding and build a stronger evidence base for regulation, as set out in the Evidence Gaps and Priorities for 2023-2026. It’s just too much,” Helen Blythe said. Committee Statistics Director.
“Through experimentation, cognitive testing, and advice from NatCen’s survey design experts, we were able to collect relevant data about gambling activity that is available to consumers today, in a way that consumers describe.”
End of Quarterly Gambling Participation Survey
The Commission continues to progress its UK Gambling Inquiry programme. This will survey 20,000 people each year, making it one of the largest gambling data research projects in the world.
Bryce added: “This project is one of the ways the Commission is seeking to improve understanding and build a stronger evidence base for regulation, as set out in the Evidence Gaps and Priorities for 2023-2026. Once the UK Gambling Survey is up and running, we want to consider how we can further our knowledge by comparing our findings with operator data and other available datasets.”
Earlier this year, the Gambling Commission’s final quarterly participation statistics found all categories to be “statistically stable” from the previous period.
The headline problem gambling rate, as measured by the Abbreviated Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), remained statistically stable at 0.3%.
The in-person gambling participation rate was also stable compared to the fiscal year ending March 2022, at 27%. However, this is still significantly lower than the 35% who responded positively to the survey in the pre-pandemic period.
