GambleAware study warns Britain’s poorest are the biggest spenders

Despite problem gambling dropping to just 0.5% according to the latest data provided by the Betting and Gaming Council, a new report threatens to belie this by offering an insight into how seriously poorer citizens in the United Kingdom are impacted by the proliferation of gambling.

The report by GambleAware, a not-for-profit looking to boost awareness of problem gambling, outlines how Britain’s poorest and most deprived areas often become a victim of excessive gambling that goes beyond the means of the locals. In the "Patterns of Play," researchers from the National Center for Social Research or NatCen work with professors from the University of Liverpool to name David Forrest and Ian McHale to establish how serious the issue has become. The research focused on both iGaming and online sports betting.

The initial look isn’t good for the industry. According to the report which looked into nearly 139,200 online gambling accounts, researchers were able to determine that those who played the most were also those who could afford it the least. The research focused on the period between July 2018 and June 2019 and collated data from seven British brands considered to be leaders in the online gambling space.

At least 29% of the accounts were located in the United Kingdom’s poorest and most deprived areas. Another 13% came from areas that were second worse nationally. Betting turned out to be the lesser of the two evils, as it was associated with a more modest overall spend. However, gaming turned out to be a generator of heavy losses and led to the biggest spending by poor individuals.

Deprived neighborhoods are those who paid the price. Commenting on this study, Forrest explained that the research was a unique opportunity to probe and understand how online gambling operates and exists and rather – what impact it had on society and where.

Gaming led to losses amounting to thousands of pounds over a year, whereas betting seemed to rarely offer the same spending incentives. "Whilst political debate and campaigns have focused on the risks around betting, our research shows it is important to raise awareness of the gambling harms associated with online gaming," Forrest added in the paper.

GambleAware CEO Zoë Osmond once again appealed to lawmakers to make haste and ensure that individuals are not exposed at so much harm. She cited the rising costs of living and the challenges that lay ahead of the nation, but also the importance of making sure that vulnerable individuals are not spending all their money on gambling.

Image credit: GambleAware