The latest data from the Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey for Great Britain has revealed that gambling participation for July 2024 to October 2024 remained level with figures recorded last year and in 2023, with the National Lottery continuing to account for much of the UK’s player totals.

The Gambling Commission has released the latest edition of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, which reveals UK gambling participation remains steady at 48 percent, in line with figures recorded throughout last year and in 2023.

The data, collected by NatCen, put questions to a “nationally representative” sample of 4,675 adults aged 18 and over between July 2024 to October 2024, with the National Lottery emerging once again as the most popular single gambling activity.

“Overall participation in any gambling activity (in the past four weeks) was 48 percent, the same proportion that was observed throughout 2023 and in the earlier waves in 2024,” reported the Gambling Commission.

“One fifth of respondents (20 percent) only took part in lottery draws (either National Lottery or other charity lottery draws) in the past four weeks. If we exclude these respondents who have only taken part in lottery draws, gambling participation was 28 percent.”

The results demonstrate that overall gambling participation is highest for males aged between 45 and 54, however, when lottery draw only players are removed, the age profile shifts downwards to men aged 25 to 34.

“The online gambling participation rate (in the past four weeks) was 38 percent. This figure falls to 15 percent when lottery draw only players are removed, representing a significant decline compared to the previous wave of data (17 percent in wave two, 2024.)”

“The in-person gambling participation rate (in the past 4 weeks) was 28 percent. Excluding lottery draw only players, the participation rate was 18 percent.”

Lotteries remain the most popular gambling activity, with 31 percent playing National Lottery draws and 16 percent engaging in other charity lotteries. 

“Following lotteries, the next three most popular activities were scratchcards (12 percent), betting (10 percent) and online instant win games (7 percent). Compared to the previous period (wave two, 2024) participation in betting decreased by two percentage points.”

For the land based sector, both bingo and arcade machine play stood at 4 percent.

“The most popular reasons given as to why respondents gambled was ‘for the chance to win big money’ and ‘because it’s fun.’”