UK Gambling Commission latest research shows teen gambling rates falling
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has just released its annual study into youth gambling in the country. The results are encouraging, showing a decrease in gambling involvement among teenagers.
UKGC’s recently published Young People and Gambling Report 2023 reveals valuable insights into the spending habits of 11 to 17 year olds. The comprehensive report, which has previously focused on 11- to 16-year-olds, expanded coverage to 17-year-olds this year.
The research is based on information from the Ipsos Youth Comprehensive Report, an annual study that examines a variety of topics. School-age teens were asked about everything from social media use to politics to gambling.
British teenagers lose interest in gambling
A closer look at the report's key findings highlights a significant shift in young people's gaming habits. Specifically, 26% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 spent money on gambling activities in the past year. This is down significantly from 31% in 2022.
Looking at the more detailed categories, 4% of children invested money in age-restricted gambling products. This is down from 5% last year.
When it comes to problem gambling, the survey shows encouraging trends: 0.7% of people said they were a problem gambler, compared with 0.9% in 2022. Problem gambling rates across all market segments in the UK are around 0.2%. The proportion of disadvantaged gambling categories increased by 2.4% from the same period to 1.5%.
Looking at the data by age group, it was found that 16-year-olds had the highest gambling rate at 26.9%. 12-year-olds currently top the risk category at 2.3%.
13-year-olds top the list when it comes to problem gambling. 1.9% recognized tendencies indicating problematic behavior.
A particularly noteworthy finding from the survey is that a large proportion of children's gambling spending goes to products that currently have no age restrictions in the UK. This nuance highlights the need for a nuanced and comprehensive approach to address all aspects of youth gambling.
White paper calls for youth-oriented reforms
Within the broader context of the UK gambling industry, the ongoing White Paper discussions on gambling reform are expected to trigger profound changes in the industry. The proposed reforms aim to introduce tighter restrictions to prevent children from participating in any form of gambling.
UKGC has outlined the specific measures that need to be implemented. This includes, inter alia, removing the existing exemption from the age verification test for purchases at small gambling establishments.
Additionally, changes to the Code of Good Practice will require licensees to verify the age of any customer who appears to be under 25 years of age. This is an increase from the current threshold of 21.
The UK gambling regulator continues to discuss the white paper and proposed reforms with industry players. A number of consultations have already taken place and more will follow.
Next are Free Bets and Bonuses and Penalty for Breach of Bonus Rules. To this end, the UK GC wants to increase fines significantly so that, as executive director of policy and research Tim Miller puts it, "the costs of non-compliance exceed the costs of compliance".
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Source: www.casino.org
