46% dip sees fewer Brits gambling, but can the data be trusted?

In a study between September 2024 to January 2025, over 5,000 adults over the age of 18 were asked about their gambling habits. 

Just under half of the adults surveyed mentioned that they were actively involved in gambling activities within the last four weeks, which marks a 3% drop in figures from the previous 49% reported back in October 2024.

Interestingly, 19% of these respondents only take part in one form of gambling, and that’s lottery play. This is either via the National Lottery or through various charity lottery draws. 

So, taking these particular players out of the equation, this active participation rate drops even further to around 28%.

Survey under scrutiny with GSGB strategies being reviewed

The UK’s Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) has published a pivotal review of the GSGB, as there were a few concerns around the accuracy of their findings. 

In the report, the OSR suggested a number of recommendations in order to strengthen the reliability of this data.

The improvements listed included

• quality assurance, 

• clearer communication of potential biases, 

• better engagement with both players as well as stakeholders. 

The OSR also asked the Gambling Commission to clarify what the GSGB data can and cannot be used for.

Ed Humpherson - the Director General for Regulation at the OSR, has also commented that the UK Gambling Commission has already begun responding to the findings and are taking swift action:

I welcome this proactive approach and encourage the Commission to publicly set out the progress it has made.

Lottery participation lowers as online iGaming rates shoot up

Lottery games are still one of the most common forms of gambling in Great Britain, although their overall contribution to the total figures has declined slightly, from 37% to 34% over the last quarter. 

This is followed by scratchcards at 12% and betting by 10% as the next most popular gambling activities enjoyed by UK residents.

And of course, online gambling has gained traction and has been rapidly growing over the last few years.

In fact, the UK Gambling Commission has reported a 7% year-on-year rise in this area, with a total of £1.45 billion made, with online slots being largely responsible for this surge. 

Participation across all online forms in general has stood at 37%, but factoring in the lottery only players, when excluding them from these figures, the total drops to 17%.

A quick note on demographics

The GSGB findings slightly underrepresent younger adults, as only 6% survey respondents were between the ages of 18 - 24, in comparison to 11% of the adult population. 

Older adults in the 65 - 74 age range made up 18% of the results, despite 12% of the national adult population, resulting in a potential skewing of data on digital gambling activities and habits.

Looking ahead

As gambling behaviours continue to shift over time, especially with the rise of online games, the need for accurate, clear, and honest data is more crucial than ever. 

The GSGB remains a valuable tool for understanding most of these trends, but improvements and tweaks still need to be made in order to provide the best possible input. 

With the UK Gambling Commission already taking the necessary steps to act on the suggested recommendations, the coming months could mark a huge turning point in how gambling is both recorded and understood in the UK.