If it has been a slow year for the UK Gambling
Commission, then the tortoise must have beat out the
hare. Following the recent publication of the UK
Gambling Commission's executive summary on the
activities of the body charged with regulating all
gambling activities in the United Kingdom - whether in
the pub or the online casino - it is a sure bet to say
the UK Gambling Commission hasn't been sitting on their
thumbs.
Following the Commission's original codes of practice
publication, gambling industry statistics and the 2007
Prevalence survey regarding problem gambling, a
secondary summary has been released - this time
providing even more insightful statistics on gambling
behavior, as well as the activities of the Commission
itself.
The executive summary provides further commentary on
factors associated with high-risk problem gambling
behavior, and explains how more timely information is
being used to expand future research. Comparing the
gambling activities of UK citizens with those of the
Commission, which is now under new regulatory framework,
analysts should be able to gain a better grasp and
understanding of gambling behavior, not to mention the
effectiveness of current regulatory framework.
Regarding new gambling operations, the Commission
licensed some 3,428 operators and has handed out nearly
4,200 licenses for conducting both remote and non-remote
gambling activities over the past year. Regarding
gambling activities, the summary reports that 68% of the
UK population participated in at least one form of
gambling (compared to 72% from 1999), with nearly
one-third of this demographic solely participating in
the National Lottery.
Other key findings show that only 3% participated in
online casino and poker betting, while the quotient of
problem gamblers remained unchanged from 1999. The
highest prevalence of problem gambling was found to
exist in the spread betting, fixed odds terminal betting
and exchange betting sectors of the gambling industry.
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