Brits in Poor Areas Lose Thousands to Gaming

A recent gambling study shows that gambling losses in the United Kingdom tend to be very high in less well-off areas. Commissioned by GambleAware, the concerning data shows that almost half a million Brits lose thousands a year.

Gamblers Lose Thousands a Year

According to the research, about 420,000 gamblers in Britain lose $2,500 a year to various forms of gambling. This research comes amid Britain’s ongoing gambling review. Recently, the reviewers proposed watering down certain proposed regulations, which didn’t sit well with the opponents of gambling.

One of the major concerns is the impact of online gaming. Official data shows that the vertical which includes slots, live casino and online bingo among others earns about $5 million a year. According to the research, about 129,000 players in the UK lose $2,500 a year to online gambling. However, the actual number might be much higher. It is also worth noting that the sum players lose is higher than what the average family pays for gas and electricity every year.

Out of all gambling formats, slot games seem to be the most addicting one and are much more likely to appeal to women as well. Statistics show that about 50,000 people in the UK lose about $6,200 a year to slots. Furthermore, data makes it clear that about 1% of players make up for about 40% of the vertical’s revenues.

Finally, the most concerning statistic shows a significant portion of the losses comes from deprived areas. The study warns that the 20% poorest regions provide 25% of the industry’s revenue. This also sparks suspicions that operators aren’t doing enough to prevent harm. Indeed, according to studies, only a third of the high-rollers ever receive any form of intervention. Less than 1% actually got called on the phone, which is considered to be the most effective measure.

People Are Concerned with the Data

Zoë Osmond the CEO of GambleAware, addressed the concerning statistic She emphasized that the most harmed are often the poorest and added that the cost of living crisis will likely make things worse.

Labor MP Carolyn Harris, one of the people pushing for stricter gambling regulations during the ongoing review, accused the industry of preying on the poor. She also appealed to the government to “take the necessary steps to protect vulnerable people immediately.”

In the light of the aforementioned statistics, anti-gambling groups are demanding a stake limit on slots games. However, lobbying efforts on the industry’s side have prevented such measures from being implemented so far. Industry spokespeople deny the notion that the industry isn’t doing enough. According to the Betting and Gaming Council, operators carried out more than 5 million safer gambling interactions.