MARKET RESEARCH
Over 1/3 of gamblers now prefer online – research
68% of people believe a responsible gambling environment is important in choosing a provider
new gambling study by Toluna, a tech company operating in the market research space, aimed to understand current gambling interests and attitudes in the UK during unprecedented times. The study surveyed 2,100 people in the UK.
A KEY FINDINGS
Lockdown-induced digital worlds have encouraged more people to gamble - with a call for a duty of care approach in providing a responsible and safe gambling environment • 51% of those people surveyed in the UK said they’ve gambled in the last 12 months, with sports betting proving the most popular (42%) followed by casino games (36%).
• 26% of respondents said they love to gamble. Over a quarter said the social side is a key appeal (28%)
• 21% of those surveyed have spent more money on gambling since the pandemic started
• Debit card usage for placing bets continues to grow - 28% of those asked said they’ll now use debit cards more often - and contactless payments are gaining popularity (26% agreed they’d use this method of payment more often).
• The most popular sports to place bets among respondents were football (61%), horseracing (52%) followed in third place by boxing with nearly a quarter of people betting on boxing matches (24%) in the last year.
• When it comes to casino games, roulette (48%) and blackjack (47%) are the most popular choices among players, followed by slot machines (40%) and poker (40%).
HOW COVID HAS CHANGED THE WAY WE GAMBLE AND WHERE
While online gambling was a growing trend before Covid, the pandemic hugely accelerated digital driven gambling. Although venues are currently open, some people now prefer the online environment, underpinning a permanent change in behaviour, perhaps. • Over a quarter of those surveyed (26%) said they do not want to return to traditional gambling venues.
• 23% of respondents said returning to gambling venues depends on what Covid restrictions are in place.
• 17% of people said they’d wait to see if others would return before making a decision to gamble in person or not.
WHY DON’T PEOPLE WANT TO VISIT A BETTING SHOP OR CASINO IN PERSON NOW? • Nearly half (45%) of respondents said they prefer to gamble online.
• Over a third, 35%, said gambling online is much more convenient.
• A quarter (25%) are worried about how easily Covid can spread in a casino or betting shop.
• 23% are not confident people will follow the social distancing rules, therefore prefer to stay away.
Despite restrictions adopted to help minimise the spread of Covid in physical gambling venues, most of those surveyed said it would make no difference in whether they decided to return to them:
8 AUGUST 2021 GIO
• 55% said that despite regular sanitisation of electronics, provision of hand sanitiser, Perspex screens and wearing masks, they still wouldn’t be more likely to go.
• Even with the one player at a table rule (58%), contactless payments (59%) and being able to bring your food and drink (59%) would not tempt people back to gambling venues right now.
RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING
It’s clear people in the UK support a responsible gambling environment - with appropriate regulation playing a key role in achieving this. • Two thirds of people in the UK are aware of some measures for responsible gambling with deposit limits the most prominent (37%), followed by play time limits (33%) and age verification online (33%).
• 68% of those surveyed believe having a responsible gambling environment is important.
• A third of people think there’s just the right level of media advertising.
• 48% of men are more likely to see a bigger impact in banning bookmakers from sports. sponsorship, while they are also more likely to be aware of such sponsorship and the promotion of gambling that comes with it.
• 65% believe that adverts play a part in encouraging people to gamble excessively.
• 36% of people think there’s too much gambling advertising on TV.
• Over a third (35%) believe this is the case for social media gambling advertising.
• The same percentage believe too many website banner ads are also focused on gambling
However, some people disagree that clampdowns on gambling advertising are the way forward and effective: • 34% of those surveyed don’t have an issue with gambling ads on media channels and a quarter (25%) even went as far as saying there shouldn’t any restrictions to gambling advertising.
• This was especially prevalent among Gen Z/Millennials with 47% of 18–34-year-olds stating that they don’t have an issue with gambling adverts.
• 40% of 18–34-year-olds actually believe there shouldn’t be any advertising restrictions at all.
Denholm Scotford, Head of Research Technology, Media, Telecoms at Toluna, said: “It’s clear the pandemic and time at home has led to increased online gambling activity. Whatever your thoughts on advertising regulation, one thing is for sure, Covid has very likely created a permanent change in gambling behaviour. More people now prefer to gamble online and are still not hugely encouraged to go back to gambling venues despite strict Covid protocols. The longer the pandemic lasts, the further the online gambling market is likely to grow - presenting a big opportunity for gambling providers to expand their online offering but only if they can do so in a responsible way, safeguarding their customers and advocating the importance of knowing your limits and playing within your means.”
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