According to a quarterly survey of 4,018 respondents conducted by the GB Gambling Commission, the level of gambling addiction in the UK is relatively stable at 0.2% of the population.
This dataset is collected through telephone interviews using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). The index consists of three questions scored between “never” and “almost always” asked by anyone who has gambled in the last 12 months.
Overall, the level of gambling addiction for the six months to June 30 was 0.2%. This is stable compared to the previously recorded level of 0.4% in June 2021.
The male gambling addiction surveyed was 0.3%. This was less than the previous year, but the Gambling Commission said the change was not statistically significant.
Gambling addiction was completely flat among women, at only 0.1%.
The level of gambling addiction between the ages of 16 and 24 was 0.8%. This increased, but this change was not statistically significant.
Gambling addiction between the ages of 25 and 34 was 0.3%, compared with 0.2% in the age group of 35 and 44.
Members of the 45-54 age group who responded to the survey were not classified as problem gamblers. In total, 596 people were surveyed from this group.
The total for 55-64 years old was also 0.2%. The percentage of the last recorded group (group over 65 years old) was 0.1%.
The survey also found that 42.9% of all respondents participated in at least one form of gambling in the last four weeks.
The proportion was even higher at ages 45-54, reaching 49.1%.
A total of 25.8% of respondents were found to have participated in at least one form of online gambling in the last four weeks. Again, this was the most common between the ages of 45 and 54, at 33.2%.
Of all respondents, 27.5% have participated in the National Lottery in the last four weeks.
The Gambling Addiction Commission is currently planning a new methodology for measuring the prevalence and problematic rates of gambling addiction. However, this has been criticized for the fact that the investigation appears to be over-indexing the gambler and may have increased the level of harm reported.
