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Trends and patterns in gambling behaviour SSA Annual Conference Dr Steve Sharman University of East London (UEL)
Trends and patterns in
gambling behaviour
SSA Annual Conference
Dr Steve Sharman
University of East London (UEL)
Gambling is everywhere
What is gambling?
Who Gambles – and how much?
British Gambling Prevalence
Survey (1999, 2007, 2010);
Health Survey for England
(HSE; 2015, 2015)
73% of UK adults have
gambled in some form over
the past 12 months (BGPS,
2010)
How much did gamblers lose
between October 2015 and
September 2016?
Gambling participation over
time
Based on adults aged over 16
years of age, in the past 12
months:
1999 – 72% (BGPS)
2007 – 68% (BGPS)
2010 – 73% (BGPS)
2012 – 65% (HSE)
2015 – 63% (HSE)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1999 2007 2010 2012 2015
Past -year Gambling Prevalence (BGPS)
Gambling and age over time
Gambling forms over time
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
National Lottery
Other Lotteries
Scratchcards
Sports and other events
Football Pools
Slot Machines
Horses and Dogs
Gambling Forms by Survey Year
2010 2007 1999
Online gambling
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
2007 2010 2015
Prevalence of Online Gambling Figure for 1999 >0.5%
HSE 2012, no overall figure
These overall figures are
deceptive when broken
down by age and gender.
These figures represent a
‘narrow’ definition (no lottery
products)
Problem Gambling
Gambling behaviour can
become maladaptive
Problem Gambling (PG)
prevalence measured
using a range of
instruments
Focus on the DSM criteria,
and mainly the PGSI
Problem gambling and at-
risk gambling
1999 2007 2010 2012 2015
PG At
Risk PG
At
Risk PG
At
Risk PG
At
Risk PG
At
Risk
SOGS 0.8 - - - - - - - -
DSM 0.6 0.6 0.9 0.5 - 0.7 -
PGSI - - 0.5 0.7 0.4 0.6
Problem gambling and at-
risk gambling
1999 2007 2010 2012 2015
PG At
Risk PG
At
Risk PG
At
Risk PG
At
Risk PG
At
Risk
SOGS 0.8 8.6 - - - - - - - -
DSM 0.6 2.9 0.6 4.5 0.9 4.1 0.5 - 0.7 -
PGSI - - 0.5 6.5 0.7 7.5 0.4 4.2 0.6 3.9
Past year gamblers
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
Overall Past Year Overall Past Year
PGSI DSM
Problem Gambling Prevalence - Overall and past
year gamblers
1999 2007 2010
Problem gambling and age
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
SOGS DSM PGSI DSM PGSI DSM
1999 2007 2010
Problem Gambling Prevalence by Age
16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Problem gambling and
gambling form
02468
10121416
Problem Gambling by Form and Year
1999
2007
2010
Gambling support in the uk
A range of treatment
options are available to
gamblers:
Gamcare
National Problem
Gambling Clinic
Gamblers Anonymous
Gordon Moody
Association
Treatment seeking in
numbers
2004 – 21,778 calls
2014-15 – 77,900 calls
Unique website visits 08/09 – 191,042
Unique website visits 14/15 –
1,219,931
Treatment seekers – preferred form
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
2003 2004 2005 2006 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13 13/14 14/15
Betting FOBTs Fruit / Slot Machines Online
Gambling form - age and
gender
Summary
Email:
stevesharman81
Problem Gambling is
around 1%
Past Year Gamblers
Younger Age Groups
Males
Online Gambling /
Preferred Form
