Online betting compared...

According to a report carried out by the UK Gambling Commission, more people than ever before are turning to gambling to escape daily stress. The results of the report showed that more than half a million people could be suffering from a serious gambling problem. It also found that three quarters of adults in the UK partake in some form of gambling.

The labour government relaxed laws relating to gambling in 2005. Charities and church groups are claiming that this is why there has been an increase in gambling. There is also the fact that the internet has made gambling much more accessible. Those who do have a problem do not have to go through the embarrassment of actually going into a betting shop.

The survey that was conducted involved 7,756 adults. Around 59% played the National Lottery at least once last year (2010). This was up from 57% the year before. It is currently the most popular type of gambling in the UK. Football Pools were the only type of gambling that has seen a decrease in popularity. In 1999 9% of people played the pools, while in 2010 just 4% did. Other types of free bets such as horse race betting and scratch cards still remain popular.

Most people surveyed claimed that they gambled as a hobby. It is a bit of fun with a chance to actually win money at the end of it. Unfortunately the number of people who had a problem with gambling has risen. A problem gambler is described by the UK Gambling Commission as somebody who chases their losses and hides the extent of their problem. They will often steal and cheat to afford to gamble.

The Director of Mission and Public Affairs at the Church of England, Malcolm Brown, states:

“Problem gamblers become sucked into a distorted view of reality and often drag themselves and their families into insecurity and poverty. This is not just a matter of personal morality and character, but a problem exacerbated by the values communicated by wider social and policy context.”

The actual number of problem gamblers has increased by 150,000 within the past three years. The Chairman of the Gambling Commission, Brian Pomeroy, states:

“The survey indicates that a small, but probably growing, proportion of the population have serious problems with their gambling. This reinforces our determination to see that gambling regulation continues to both minimise the risk to those individuals and ensure that the majority of people can continue to gamble safely.”

While the majority of people do know how to control their betting, the rise in problem gamblers is still a worry. It is the more relaxed laws that have made gambling much more accessible that seems to be to blame. Only 14% of people choose to gamble online. The other 81% of people chose to gamble in person.

Now that funding has been cut for the Gambling Commission, it states that this may be the last prevalence survey. The budget of £500,000 was cut last year and the Commission is now seeking other funding.