The UK Gambling
Comission has published more important findings as part
of their quarterly survey's regarding remote gambling
participation in the UK. With the help of ICM Research,
the Commission has been gathering data to gauge the
immediate and long terms effects of a liberalized
gambling sector that now includes online gambling
regulation and additional terrestrial casinos.
Following the
April'08 survey data, the July report shows much of the
same that took place in the later third of 2007. In
other words, there hasn't been a spike in gambling
activities - much to the chagrin of anti-gambling
advocates who would have hoped otherwise to defend their
position. Beginning in September 2007, the surveys have
given the Commission sufficient information to trend
quarterly data figures. And as mentioned, the trend is
that gambling is under good control in the UK.
And not that it
wasn't before. But with increased casino gambling
options - both online and land-based - there has been a
justifiable uncertainty to a small extent. The
Commission and gambling experts, however, have been
confident from the very beginning. It comes down to the
same words you hear online-gambling activists in the
U.S. saying - with regulation comes better protection
and scrutiny on the industry itself.
That said, key
statistical findings in the latest survey suggest that
8.8% of UK adults participated in at least one form of
remote wagering in the last year - either though a
computer, mobile phone of interactive television. As
mentioned, this was the same percentage in 2007, which
was up from 7.2% in 2006. What is most interesting is
that nearly half of this percentage was made up of
adults who only participate in National Lottery games
via remote means of wagering.
Demographically
speaking, the average UK online bettor is an adult male
between the ages of 18-44. Although no stats were
specifically taken in regards to online bingo, it could
be fairly assumed that female UK bettors make up the
larger portion of
online
bingo activities. Online gambling via computer
continues to remain the most popular form of remote
wagering (preferred by nearly 7% of those surveyed),
followed by mobile phones and interactive digital
television at approximately 2%.
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