Young adults between 16 to 24 years of age contributed to 39 per cent of the total participation in gambling last year.
The Health Survey for England 2018 has revealed that 54 per cent of people aged 16 years or above participated in gambling activities last year in England. Forty per cent of them took part in many forms of gambling, excluding the national lottery.
The survey covers overall participation in more than 18 forms of gambling activities, including the National Lottery, online gambling on slots, casino or bingo games, and slot machines.
Nearly two in three people between 25 to 64 years of age reported that they had gambled in the past year. Even though people between 16 to 24 years of age are less likely to gamble, more than one-third of them (39 per cent) participated in gambling.
With the exclusion of the National Lottery, the figure shows that people belonging to 25 to 34 years of age contribute towards 49% of participation.
The Health Survey for England in 2012 was the first survey to be held to investigate gambling behaviours.
Compared to the 2012 survey, there is an apparent decline in participation in gambling, from 68 per cent of men and 61 per cent of women to 57 per cent and 51 per cent respectively. However, concerns still remain.
Chief executive of NHS England, Simon Stevens, told Daily Mail that the new figures are “a stark reminder of how common gambling is in our society, and how easy it is to become addicted,” adding, “particularly with the aggressive push into online gambling”.
The survey data indicates that online gambling has become more popular among young men (aged under 35).
The 2012 statistics revealed that the National Lottery was the most popular form of gambling, with 54 per cent of the general population accounting for its total participation. This number witnessed a dip to 36 per cent in the 2018 report.
In contrast, online gambling witnessed a slight increase from 7 per cent in 2012 to 9 per cent last year. This increase was higher among men as it jumped from 10 per cent to 15 per cent over six years. The participation of women remained at a stable 4 per cent.
One in five men aged 16 to 24 reported they gambled online last year, while only one in fifty women of the same age group participated in gambling. Participation peaked among men and women from 25 to 34 years of age, with a recorded participation rate of 28 per cent and 9 per cent respectively.
Dean, a young man who had participated in online gambling, told Raven News that the reason he had done it several times before was due to some introductory offers (free bets) from gambling websites.
“I know a lot of people who do it,” he added, “I don’t enjoy it as I know it can be addictive.” When asked further about why he thinks he might get addicted to online gambling, he said it would be “the rush or buzz from winning”.
Matt Zarb-Cousin, from the Campaign for Fairer Gambling, told the Daily Mail that, “Many people enjoy an occasional flutter on the Grand National or the lottery but no gambling is entirely risk-free.”
He said that harmful gambling has become more popular now, and this means the harm to society has also increased.
“The younger you start the more likely you are to become addicted,” he added, “Online gambling poses a huge risk to a whole generation of young men.”
The survey also revealed that men belonging to 16 to 24 years of age are more likely to be addicted to gambling, at a rate of 1.9 per cent against 0.4 per cent addiction rate of the general population.
The NHS chief further said that new services would be launched to treat gambling addiction as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.
“But it is high time that all these firms who spend many millions on marketing and advertising step up to the plate and take their responsibilities seriously,” said Mr Stevens, who has previously said those firms directly contribute to gambling addiction.
Firms who spend millions aggressively marketing gambling should step up to the plate and take their responsibilities seriously –
NHS chief Simon Stevens https://t.co/ecZfn8kKbQ— NHS England Media (@NHSEnglandMedia) December 3, 2019
This year, the NHS opened its first gambling clinic for children. The National Problem Gambling Clinic in London will also expand new specialist services for children and young people aged under 26.
The National Problem Gambling Clinic: https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/cnwl-national-problem-gambling-clinic/