Entain Survey: Most Britons See Betting as a Social Activity

As the UK Gambling Act of 2005 continues to face scrutiny with plans of an overhaul for tighter restrictions by lawmakers, more people prefer having personal freedom and choice when it comes to gambling. 94% of British adults who play gambling games at least once every month believe that they should have the freedom to decide how they should spend their spare time and hard-earned money.

The number of respondents with the said opinion has seen a 15% surge, up from 79% in December last year, before the UK government implemented the new lockdown in January 2020. These findings were published in a recent survey titled “Lockdown Spurs Rising Demand for Personal Freedom and Choice” conducted by CT Group, on behalf of Entain PLC, the owner of betting trendsetters Ladbrokes and Coral. Some of the other key discoveries from Entain’s research study indicated that:

55% of respondents consider casino gaming and sports betting as a social activity that they indulge in with friends.
Of the above group, 25% indicated that they have forged new friendships from casino gambling and sports betting.
78% of the interviewed demographic place wagers at least once each week.
For the gamblers who bet weekly, their average gambling expenditure is half of what they spend in restaurants, pubs, and bars over the same period.
More than 90% of sports bettors consider themselves sports fans, and 83% of those enjoy betting on the outcomes.
About 50% of the respondents who enjoy betting on sports support the sponsorship of lower league clubs and grassroots teams by gambling companies.
58% of sports betting fans consider themselves money-savers, and 84% of this group has saving accounts.
Only 38% (4 in every 10 people) disclosed that they actively enjoy spending their cash

A total of 2,000 Britons were interviewed in the survey. Each of the respondents enjoys placing wagers on different types of gambling apart from the National Lottery, which has recently increased its eligibility age limit from 16 to 18 years. 40% of the respondents in the research study hold a university degree, and most of them are working. Looking at the age groups, only 9% of the respondents were young adults between 18 to 24 years old, whereas Britons aged 55 years old and above accounted for 28% of the interviewed group.

Most Britons Do Gamble Safely and Responsibly

While recent statistics have shown an increase in UK’s online gambling activity following the lockdowns, it is vital to consider that, generally, internet activity has also gone up by leaps and bounds in every other aspect of life. People are banking, shopping, ordering food, using social media, and enjoying digital entertainment via the internet more because of the lockdowns.

And even after things return to normalcy, using online services will continue with the growth curve. Therefore, it is unwise and uncalled-for to castigate the online gambling spike that has been seen during the lockdowns as an isolated event that is reason enough to restrict freedoms and rights for responsible gamblers.

No doubt, these findings indicate that most gamblers in the UK enjoy the activity responsibly and view gambling as a leisure activity. So, as the review of current gambling laws goes on, it is high time UK lawmakers realized that their stereotypes for gamblers are incorrect and that Britons want to enjoy their freedoms in peace.