The UK Gambling Commission has said in its latest report that the overall problem gambling rate is “statistically stable.”
The latest telephone survey by the regulator found that, in the year to December 2022, the rate of problem gambling was 0.2 per cent.
The low risk rate also remained stable at 1.7 per cent, but there was a “significant increase” in the moderate risk rate, up to 1.3 per cent in the year to December 2022 compared to 0.8 per cent in the year to December 2021.
Michael Dugher, chief executive of the Betting & Gaming Council, said the results were “further evidence” of the work done on safer gambling.
With the UK’s white paper into gambling reform expected in the coming weeks, Dugher added: “We want big changes, but they must be focussed on this small minority who are vulnerable to harm – not the vast majority who bet safely and responsibly.
“We need a risk based approach which helps the vulnerable, not ruins the experience for the responsible majority.”
Elsewhere, the UKGC said participation rates in gambling “haven’t yet returned” to pre-pandemic levels, despite the figure remaining stable year-on-year.
There was, however, an increase in in-person gambling at 28 per cent, compared to 25 per cent for the year to December 2021.
The UKGC said: “The data also shows that participation rates appear to be bouncing back after the pandemic for activities such as fruit and slots machines, virtual gaming machines in bookmakers, dog races, virtual dog and horse races and casino games.”
The UK regulator concluded that perceptions of gambling in the UK between gamblers and non-gamblers have remained “statistically stable.”
