A YouGov poll commissioned by DoTrust found that, due to cost-of-living hikes, half of all active gamblers intend to curb their gambling spend – or stop playing altogether.

The poll was conducted in the week to 17 March from a representative sample, DoTrust said, of 700 “current active gamblers” excluding Lottery-only players.

Among those surveyed, 32% said they will spend less on gambling in the coming months, while a further 18% said they will no longer play at all.

This comes amid steep inflation growth driven primarily by rising energy prices and fuel costs, in turn impacting the expense of food, drink and many other everyday items.

And if DoTrust’s poll is to be believed, consumers are already tightening their belts. While 38% of respondents said they were watching what they spend, though as of yet had not made any changes, 43% were consciously cutting back on non-essentials.

What’s more, DoTrust said 11% of respondents claimed to be struggling to meet essential bills and expenses.

Ultimately, the company interpreted these results as a warning sign to the gambling sector, with DoTrust Chief Executive and Founder Charles Cohen calling them an “alarm bell.”

“Inflation is at levels not seen for decades and this is translating into a fast-moving affordability crisis for the gambling industry,” he said.

“Wait-and-see is not an option: operators need real-time financial data more than ever.”