UK: over half of the population gambled in 2018

The results from the Health Survey indicate that over half of UK citizens engaged in gambling activity in 2018.

UK.- According to the Health Survey for England 2018, more than half of people in the country aged 16 or older gambled at some point last year. The figures also show a decline in gambling participation in recent years.

The survey indicates that around 53% of people in the UK gambled in 2018, including buying lottery tickets. The results show that 56% of men had gambled in 2018, while the percentage when it comes to women declines to 49%.

Simon Stevens, CEO of NHS England, said that the figures have decreased in recent years. however, he says that they should pay attention to these numbers and puts online gambling in the spotlight.

“These new stats are a stark reminder of how common gambling is in our society and how easy it is to become addicted, particularly with the aggressive push into online gambling,” said Stevens. “It is high time that all these firms who spend many millions on marketing and advertising step up to the plate and take their responsibilities seriously,” he added.

GBG CEO says a review of gambling legislation is inevitable

Peter Hannibal, CEO of Gambling Business Group (GBG), urged the gambling industry to prepare for an inevitable overhaul of gambling legislation. He also told the retail sector to make sure that it isn’t a secondary consideration when discussing such things.

Hannibal’s comments come just a weeks after the Conservative party released a manifesto in which it said that it would review the Gambling Act and focus on loot boxes and credit cards in gambling, among other things.

“A review of gambling legislation is now inevitable, whatever the make-up of the next parliament,” said Hannibal. He said that this needs to be taken as an opportunity to reset the narrative around gambling in the UK.

However, he believes that this needs a different approach and not just from the industry itself. “This is going to happen, and we need to be preparing for it now. A common voice for the low stake sector has never been more relevant and necessary. We need to examine ways in which the various low stake gaming verticals can collaborate, at the very least on the big-ticket items such as empirical research to help inform the debate.”