UK LEGAL COMMENT
are not broken down by gambling activity engaged in, which is frustrating given that information would be available in the raw data. However, I could speculate that a combination of the FOBT stake reduction and the introduction of measures such as the credit card ban and mandatory GAMSTOP integration have contributed to the falling rates.
Young people are gambling less
The number of gamblers aged 16-24 at low or medium risk of harm experienced the greatest reduction in of any age group. This may reflect the fact that people under the age of 35 gambled less on average in 2020 than in previous years. Older age groups also experienced a slight reduction in levels of gambling, but not a statistically significant one. People gambling less can in part be attributed to the
closure of land-based premises for much of the year, however levels of online gambling were also down slightly amongst the younger age groups. Older people, on the other hand, participated in more online gambling in 2020 than in the past. Why are young people gambling less? This is purely speculation (not least because I sadly fall outside this age group) but it may be that for the under 35s, gambling is more of a social activity. That might mean a group of friends attending a casino as a night out, or placing bets on their mobiles while watching a sports match together. We also know that underage gambling amongst 16- to 17-year-olds primarily involves placing private bets with each other and playing on fruit machines in pubs. Opportunities to participate in these types of gambling have been limited in the last year.
Attitudes to gambling are hardening
Although year on year changes are slight, it is clear that over time negative feelings about gambling are increasing. This is not surprising, given anti-gambling political and media sentiment over the last few years. An interesting statistic is the percentage of people who
believe gambling should be banned altogether – up from 22.8% in 2016 to 30.5% four years later. It will be interesting to see where this number peaks, hopefully before it reaches 50%!
Proposed changes to data collection
Due to the relatively small sample size, the Commission’s data does tend to fluctuate so it is difficult to reach conclusions on overall trends. A particular issue has been the fact that these gambling questions are included in an overall Health Survey led by the NHS and government. It is not always possible for gambling questions to be included in the survey for each of England, Scotland and Wales and it appears that this year’s problem gambling data includes out of date figures for Wales. In recognition of the limitations of the current
approach, the Commission is consulting on changes to the methodology used to collect data on gambling participation and the prevalence of problem gambling. The changes would see a move to a mostly online survey focussing on gambling, with a larger sample size. The Commission proposes to run a pilot survey this year, alongside the existing methodology, which will enable a comparison to be made.
Melanie is a gambling regulatory lawyer with 13 years’ experience in the sector. Melanie advises on all aspects of gambling law including licence applications, compliance, advertising, licence reviews and changes of control. She has acted for a wide range of gambling operators including major online and land-based bookmakers and casinos, B2B game and software suppliers and start-ups. She also frequently advises operators of raffles, prize competitions, free draws and social gaming products. Melanie has a particular interest in the use of
new technology for gambling products and novel product ideas.
MARCH 2021 23
Billionphotos.com/Adobe Stock
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