ANDREW RHODES, CEO, British
Gambling Commission
To really understand the market, we need to be able to consider how that population changes, dependent on the type of products, in terms of participation but also frequency, spend, engagement patterns and so forth. With the frequency of data we will get from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain we can see how these patterns in participation change on a quarterly basis. And those patterns and changes will help inform how we regulate.
How do you reflect on your first four years as Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission?
Tat’s quite hard to do in some ways as there have probably been a number of phases in that time, so it doesn’t feel like a linear four years to me, nor does it feel like four years either. Tere’ve been a few things I wanted to become embedded at the Commission and the first of those has been to focus on the core remit - as set out in the Act and in what DCMS ask us to do - and not to be tempted to free-range into other areas. Tere is too often an assumption that if it’s about gambling then it must be for the Gambling Commission, but our remit is actually far more specific than that.
Te second thing was to be prepared to engage with people, the media and others in a way that demystifies what we do and why. Not everyone will like it as, for some, you can only be doing that well if you are agreeing with them and this is a wider sector where there are some hugely conflicting and competing views – it’s rare we’ll see an unequivocal consensus.
Te third thing is about delivery, delivery of major things like the National Lottery competition, the Gambling Act Review advice to Government and improving compliance in the industry. We have done those things but it’s always an evolving picture.
Andrew, three statistics caught the eye from your speech at the BGC Annual General Meeting this year: I. Just under half of Great Britain's adult population (49 per cent) participate in gambling.
II. The growth of society lottery sales has reached a milestone of £1bn.
III. The highest participating group is 45 to 54-year- olds. However, when excluding lottery and charity lotteries, the participation rate among 25 to 34-year- olds dominates. What does a stable 49 per cent participation rate tell us about Great Britain's market maturity?
Our latest data puts it at 48 per cent but it’s a useful topline figure in terms of understanding that, at the highest level, the number of consumers open to any form of gambling does not change. But it’s only a starting point. To really understand the market, we need to be able to consider how that population changes, dependent on the type of products, in terms of participation but also frequency, spend, engagement patterns and so forth. With the frequency of data we will get from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain we can see how these patterns in participation change on a quarterly basis. And those patterns and changes will help inform how we regulate.
What's driving the rapid rise of large-scale, non- regulated prize draws?
I think there are a number of potential reasons. Prize draws are simple to understand and the prize is very clear. Terms and conditions will often include a requirement to engage in publicity, so it is easier for prize draw operators to publicise winners.
Tere may be a perception that the likelihood of winning a prize draw is greater, even if that likelihood is still low.
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