New Data Confirms Drop In UK Problem Betting Rates

According to new numbers issued by the Gambling Commission, issues relating to gambling rates fell to 0.2% in the year ending March 2022. Noting the most recent data, the rate of problem betting in the year to March 2022 was 0.2%, down from 0.4% the year before and 0.3% in the most recent average annual estimates issued in February 2022. In addition, problem gambling rates among women have been stable and modest, around 0.1%. This statistic translates to a decline from 225,000 to 113,000 problem gamblers.

While this information is encouraging, it comes against a backdrop of rising usage of black market sites in the UK, where the number of British gamblers using unlicensed sites has more than quadrupled in just two years, with billions of pounds being wagered. It is worth noting that Norway implemented a governmental monopoly on all gaming and significantly stricter controls; the black market now accounts for almost 66% of all money wagered, and the problem gambling rate is 1.4% of all adults. It’s a similar pattern in France, where internet casino gaming was prohibited; presently, 57% of the money wagered there goes to black market operators. The problem gambling rate in France is 1.6% of all adults. It is also important to emphasise the numerous advantages of regulated gambling in contrast to the hazardous, unlicensed, and increasing online black market, which lacks the standard precautions among BGC members.