Scotland, gambling capital of the UK

A new study revealed that more than two thirds of adults have a punt each year.

Scotland.- A study carried out for the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) unveiled new information that established Scotland as the gambling capital of the territory as more than two thirds of adults have a punt each year, Daily Record reported.

The study that examined Scotland, Wales and nine regions in England said that approximately 69 percent of people gambled over the last 12 months in Scotland, compared to 52 percent in London. Researchers found that Scots are top scorers when it comes to gambling as they surpass the national average of 63 percent. Moreover, they also had the highest level of online betting with a bookmaker at 10 percent, whilst the figure falls at 7 percent in the rest of the United Kingdom.

Earlier this year, research firm Landman Economics revealed in a new report that Scottish players wagered £3.7 billion on FOBTs (fixed-odds betting terminals) in the twelve months that finished on December 2016. The local government is set to publish a report on FOBTs next month.

Matt Zarb-Cousin, spokesman for Campaign for Fairer Gambling, said: “That the problem gambling rate is increasing tells us all we need to know about the efficacy of self-regulation and so-called player protection measures the industry have introduced. We now have over 200,000 problem or at risk gamblers in Scotland, including 43 per cent of FOBT users. At the least, the Government must recommend a reduction in the maximum stake on FOBTs from £100 to £2 a spin. The SNP should limit the spread of FOBTs by strengthening planning laws on betting shops.”