A recent NHS Health Survey has published the latest figures on gambling behaviour, which shows that problem gambling rates fell between 2021 and 2022.
The overall gambling rate of 0.5% from 2018 had fallen to 0.4%, with markers of problem gambling being weighed against both the PGSI and DSM-IV classifications.
Survey results also indicated a fall across men and women punters, with the problem gambling rate for men falling from 0.8% in 2018 to 0.6% in 2021.
Equally, problem gambling rates in women fell from 0.3% in 2018 to 0.1% in 2021.
Michael Dugher, BGC Chief Executive, said: “We strongly welcome that another independent study has now confirmed that rates of problem gambling in England remain very low by international and indeed any other standards, and also appear to be falling, despite almost half of all adults enjoying a regular bet.
“This supports official figures from the GC that problem gambling is 0.3% and statistically stable.
“This latest study by the NHS – the most comprehensive in three years – endorses our belief that the right approach is to use technology and multiple markers of harm to identify and carefully target problem play or vulnerable customers.”
Despite 50% of adults having participated in a gambling activity in 2021, only 10% had done this online.
Additionally, the 16-34 age range was the lowest age range to participate in any form of gambling, with only 39% reporting that they had.
Dugher continued: “The study reinforces the fact that the overwhelming majority of millions of punters enjoy betting perfectly safely and responsibly, and punters rightly object to intrusive checks and blanket restrictions.
“This study is another reality check for anti-gambling prohibitionists who lobby tirelessly to campaign on the basis of a fallacy that problem gambling is some kind of public health emergency.”
