All gambling activities have seen an increase in online participation with the exception of betting on horse races and spread betting. Conversely, in-person participation has declined for most activities and gambling participation overall has decreased since 2016, with 45% of people aged 16-plus having participated in at least one form of gambling in the past four weeks in 2017 (48% in 2016).
For the first time, the majority of gambling online was undertaken on a mobile device, either phone or tablet, with 51% of online gamblers doing so. This represents a jump of 43% compared to last year. The laptop was still the most used single device, however.
In line with the online increase, these same internet gamblers now hold one more account than they did the year before, with four being the average, rather than three.
In sports betting, one in four gamblers had bet in play, with football and horse racing being the most popular events. Six per cent of respondents had bet on esports.
In terms of advertising and social media, 26% of online gamblers follow a gambling company on a social media platform, with rates highest among 18-24 year olds. Facebook remains the most popular social media platform on which online gamblers follow gambling companies.
Ben Haden, programme director at the Gambling Commission, said: “Today’s report is an important contribution as it presents a comprehensive view on how the British public is choosing to gamble and their attitudes to the current market.”
Source: GMB / InterGame Online
